


Doctor Dash Afterwards

by kimurasato



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-25
Updated: 2014-11-25
Packaged: 2018-01-26 10:57:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 35,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1685816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimurasato/pseuds/kimurasato
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of shorts taking place after Doctor Dash.</p>
<p>While preparing for the wedding, a slight snag causes Danny to help his sister find a quick replacement.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Wedding Woes

**Author's Note:**

> Connected to this are a few responses to theme events I did. Including:  
> Phanniemay 2013 Days: 6 Redesign, 14 Dani, 16 Future, 19 Ghost Hunger, 20 Cujo, 23 Family, 28 Jazz, and 31 Free Day  
> All Ships Month 2013 Day 28 Proposal  
> 25 Days of Danny Phantom Christmas 2013 Days: 6 Angel and 24 Chestnuts

"It's too tight!" Lex complained as his father caught his hands when he attempted, for the hundredth time, to tug the bowtie loose from around his neck.

"You won't have to wear it for very long," Danny promised, seeing the moping look in his son's blue eyes and the way his lower lip pushed out just slightly as he stared at the floor, the very picture of misery dressed in a neatly pressed white suit with his short locks of blond hair slicked back out of his eyes. "As soon as the wedding is over, you can change into something more comfortable. But Aunt Jazz and Uncle Tuck really want you to participate in the wedding. Can you at least tolerate it for them?"

Lex breathed in deeply then exhaled noisily. "I guess," he answered, sounding like it was such a chore simply agreeing to be the ring bearer.

"So," Dan said, leaning against the wall next to the full length mirror in the room with his arms folded over his broad chest. A smirk cut across his face in that way that always got under Danny's skin. He appeared human, and Danny noted with some annoyance, that he actually looked good in the suit picked out for him. "How long has it been going on?"

Danny glanced at his son, who had gone back to fussing with his bowtie, before he turned a glare onto Dan. "We are not talking about this." The smirk and twisted gleam of amusement in his dark blue eyes was enough to tell Danny exactly what might be going on in his evil future's mind.

"Oh, I see." Dan chuckled as he pushed away from the wall. When he stepped up behind Lex, he placed his hands over the boy's ears. "You don't want the little ones knowing." His smirk stretched a touch wider. "Not prepared to tell my little bro about your secret relationship?"

Danny's mouth thinned as his hands curled at his side. "I swear, Dan, if you go around blabbing it to everyone, I will punt you into the nearest black hole I can find."

"I don't think Kwan would appreciate it if you did that." Dan frowned and shook his head in a mock showing of disapproval.

"He's known you for, what is it now, half a year?" Danny snorted as he folded his arms. "I'm pretty sure he'd understand perfectly if I did it."

"What can't I know?" Lex questioned, tilting his head up and glancing between the two adults with curiosity in his eyes.

"It's nothing important," Danny assured his son with a smile.

After Freakshow's attempt on Lex's life, and his life too, Danny admitted to having feelings for Dash. They were taking things slowly, only able to have alone time with each other after their children were in bed or if they got Kwan or Paulina to watch the boys for a night. Their evenings were spent mostly at one of their houses, when the boys had a sleepover, and they spent their time comfortably talking with each other or simply enjoying something on the television or in each other's company while they worked on something. Once in a while, they would go out to a restaurant for a date, but Danny much preferred staying in because everything suddenly felt weird and awkward when it was like a real date.

It was nice and comfortable between them, but then Danny would get hit by a wave of guilt crashing down on him. He shoved Dash away at those moments. Hurt flashed in Dash's eyes when that happened, and Danny would suffer a new guilt that felt like he was getting punched in the gut. He needed several days, if not a week or two, to recover after that before he could approach Dash again with an apology. Dash never showed any signs of it, but Danny always had a fear tickling in the back of his mind that the doctor grew frustrated when he had to deal with Danny's guilt over moving on from Sam. Dash always acted so understanding and said things like, "I know it's not easy for you. You loved Sam a lot and losing her isn't something that you'll magically get over just because you met someone new." Danny appreciated his patience, but sometimes he worried Dash would wake up and realize that it wasn't worth the hassle.

Even though they started their relationship around five months ago, neither of them thought it was a good idea to tell their sons yet. They were still in the uncertain phase of whether or not things would work out between them. While they both might _want_ things to work out, that didn't guarantee that they would. If they decided to end things, Danny hoped that it would be on good terms so that things weren't awkward between them for their sons' sakes.

"Danny," Jazz said as she peeked her head into the room.

"Jazz, shouldn't you be in the bride's changing room?" Danny frowned when he saw his sister, who wasn't yet in her wedding dress.

"I was just about to go there," Jazz assured him as she pushed open the door. "But Tucker's freaking out at the moment. He just got a call from his cousin. They aren't going to make it, and their daughter is sick. I'm disappointed, but I really don't want our flower girl vomiting up the aisle." She winced, imagining how that would look.

"What are you going to do then?" Danny asked then tossed a frown at Dan, who was crouched before Lex as he created small flames in the palm of his hands that Lex was trying to catch before Dan extinguished the fire.

"Well, we need a replacement." Jazz bit her lip with a hopeful look at her brother. "Do you think you can help?"

"Dan, try not to burn down the church," Danny instructed firmly, and his evil future rolled his eyes. "I'm surprised you were even able to enter the church. Shouldn't you have, like, exploded into fire by now?"

"Oh, hilarious," Dan muttered with a scowl.

Danny followed Jazz out of the changing room, and they headed into the church where the guests were gathering for the ceremony. He scanned the area, but he didn't see any children around to ask to replace the original flower girl. Glancing at his sister, Danny frowned at the fretful wrinkle of her brow and the way she chewed on her lower lip. Jazz planned for months to get all the details of the wedding right, and now something happened last minute to ruin all her perfect planning. Sam hadn't cared about having a big fancy wedding like this one. They got married in an airplane before they jumped out of it, which scared the pilot half to death because they didn't bother with parachutes.

When his gaze landed on Dash, Danny grabbed hold of his sister by the wrist and dragged her over to the blond man. "Dash, we need your son."

"Uh, what?" Dash blinked with his brow furrowing in his confusion.

"Oh, that's a great idea!" Jazz glanced at Danny, and her mouth stretched into a smirk.

Danny almost groaned out loud. How did Dan and Jazz figure it out so easily? He guessed with Jazz's skills at psycho analyzing everything, she probably picked up on some subtle sign that clued her in on their relationship. Dan was just a jerk.

Jazz crouched down in front of Xander, who looked adorable in the suit that Dash got him. "Someone that was supposed to be in the wedding can't make it," she explained, smiling at the boy, "and we need someone to fill in for her. Do want to be our flower boy? It would really mean a lot to me if you participated in the wedding."

Xander tilted his head back to stare up at his father. "What's a flower boy?"

Dash placed a hand on his son's head, ruffling the raven hair. "It's the boy that walks down the aisle at the beginning of the wedding and sprinkles flower petals down it."

"Please?" Jazz begged, clasping her hands before her.

Xander frowned as he considered what was being asked of him, tapping a finger to his chin. "Well, if Lex is in it, I want to be in it too!"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Jazz drew the little boy into a tight hug before she stood. "Can you get him ready?" she asked the other two adults. "I really need to start getting dressed and getting my hair and makeup done."

"Sure thing, Jazz." Danny watched his sister hurry off to the bride's changing room. Then he turned back to Dash and his son. "Sorry to force you into this." He winced, hoping the other man wouldn't be mad.

Dash shook his head. "We're happy to help." He dropped his gaze to his son. "This'll be exciting, won't it? You're first time being in a wedding."

"Will Lex and I get to be in Paulina and Kwan's weddings?" Xander asked, staring curiously at his father.

"We'll have to see how things go." Dash chuckled awkwardly. "Let's go get ready." He ushered his son along after Danny to prepare for Xander's role as flower boy.


	2. Awkward Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During the summer camp, Danny and Dan discuss something as they watch the boys playing soccer.

"Dash didn't want to come watch his son?" Dan threw a curious glance toward his younger half.

Danny tore his gaze away from the notebook where he was busily scribbling down some notes for his latest novel. "He wanted to." He sighed tiredly as he pulled his glasses away from his face then folded them up to set atop his notebook. "But he has to work. That's why we brought a camera." He pointed toward Kwan, who was farther down the sideline of the field as he recorded the two boys playing with the rest of the children participating in the soccer camp. "I was going to do it myself, but since you brought Kwan, I thought that would give me a chance to get some plotting done during this."

Dan leaned back on his arms as he watched the two boys. "Xander seems pretty scared of the ball." He frowned when Xander flinched back as a bigger boy came up and stole the ball from him.

"He just hasn't had a lot of experience with playing soccer." Danny frowned too when another boy nearly ran Xander over as the two of them went for the ball. Lex blocked the other boy's progress and kicked the ball toward Xander, giving his friend the chance to dribble it down the field. "He just needs to play some more so that he learns to be more assertive while playing. No one starts out as an amazing player."

"I hope for his sake that he gets assertive pretty quickly, or those other boys are going to really rough him up." Dan winced after Xander fell face first to the ground when he tried to get around one of the defensive players guarding the goal. Lex helped him to his feet, checking to see if his friend was injured anywhere before they both hurried off to continue playing with the rest of the boys. Dan's gaze drifted briefly toward Kwan, who smiled widely as he filmed the practice game.

"How are things going between the two of you?" Danny grinned with only a touch of cheekiness to it. Ever since Jazz and Tucker's wedding the month before, Dan teased him about his relationship with Dash. It was only fair that Danny got the chance to do a little teasing of his own.

"Pretty well," Dan said, but his mouth curved slightly downward. "We've been taking it slow until Kwan feels comfortable progressing further. He's okay with kissing now, but he gets nervous if my hands wander too much." He held up his hands and waved them before him. Then he reached up and raked a hand through the raven locks he had in his human disguise. He appeared older now, by at least a year in comparison to Danny. While he noticed that change, Danny stayed quiet about it.

"I get the feeling there's something still bothering you." Danny glanced toward Kwan then returned his gaze to Dan as he frowned.

"Look how happy he is when he's around children." Dan sighed, shaking his head. "I didn't understand why he would go into teaching before, but after seeing how he interacts with children, I get it. But taking care of other people's children isn't the same as having one of his own." He fell silent for some time, simply staring out over the soccer field, though from the distant look in his dark blue eyes, he probably wasn't really seeing what was happening. "That's probably one thing I can't actually give him."

"First off, it sounds like it's _way_ too soon for the two of you to even be discussing the possibility of having a child," Danny said seriously as he frowned severely at his evil future. "As for the two actually having children." Danny sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't believe we're talking about this. Being that you're a ghost and made up of ectoplasm, it's entirely possible that your insides are as changeable as your outwardly appearance. I'm never going to ask Ember and Skulker or the Box Ghost and the Lunch Lady about how they conceived their children, so I don't know how much that differs from the living means of conceiving children. Maybe for ghosts, it's entirely possible for a male to carry a child because their insides aren't permanently set the way a living person's insides are."

"Considering having some more children with your lover?" Dan smirked devilishly.

With a darkening scowl, Danny reached over and gave his evil future a hard shove as Dan chuckled. "No," he grumbled. "We haven't even reached a place where we think we might want to engage in sex."

"And I thought Kwan and I were being slow." Dan rolled his eyes.

"Moving on," Danny said firmly. "Even if it is possible that _you_ ," he stressed the word as he glared at Dan, "are capable of changing your insides to make it possible to carry a child, that doesn't mean that you will be able to conceive a child with Kwan. What if human sperm isn't compatible with a ghost? I was terrified that the fact that I had ectoplasm in my blood might result in a stillborn or a miscarriage or any number of other possible problems with conceiving a child with Sam. You can ask Vlad. I was pretty much a mess at the time."

Dan tilted his head as he pondered over what Danny said. "But it still might be possible for us to conceive. I could still give it a try."

"Dan, no." Danny glared sternly at the ghost. "You are never to experiment on whether that is or isn't possible without Kwan's consent."

"You still have no faith in me," Dan returned dryly.

"You make it difficult to trust you." Danny frowned back. Then he sighed as he sat up and stretched his arms. "There are other options anyway. Surrogacy would at least give Kwan the chance of having his own child. Or," he added with some hesitancy as he glanced toward Dan, "there are some _other_ means of how you and Kwan could have a child." Exhaustion hit him as his shoulders slumped when Dan stared blankly at him. "Hello!" He nearly slapped Dan for not putting the pieces together. "You know two reality changing ghosts that could help you out in this situation. Though I would suggest Ghost Writer as making a W could result in an unexpected twist. _But_ ," he stressed strongly, "that's something you should discuss with Kwan first."

"Discuss what with me first?" Kwan questioned as he joined where the two of them were sitting. The camp finished for the day, and Lex and Xander were over getting juice boxes and snacks from the volunteers that brought treats for the children.

"It wasn't anything important," Dan mumbled, glancing away as he scratched awkwardly at his cheek.

Danny rolled his eyes before turning his gaze onto Kwan, whose brow furrowed with his confusion. "I'm sure he'll talk to you about it eventually. And if he doesn't, I'll make him regret it."

"You're making me worry that I won't like it." Kwan frowned, sending an annoyed glance toward Dan. The boys hurried over to them, ruining any further chance to discuss the topic.


	3. Past Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While filming the boys during soccer camp, Danny learns of something Dash said from one of the mothers.

Danny smiled as he stood on the sidelines of the soccer field with a video camera in his hand. The camp was winding down to the final days, and Dash couldn't make it to every single one of them, so on the days he had to work at the office, Danny recorded the practice game so that Dash could watch it later that night. Xander got better slowly at playing. Some of the bigger boys still took every opportunity to steal the ball and trip him up in the process. Xander was a little braver now, managing not to fall every time the other boys confronted him, but he really shined when he was put in the goal and threw his body to block the other boys' shots. Lex, meanwhile, had no problems stealing the ball and driving toward the other end to shoot for a goal. He needed to work on passing a bit more, when Xander was running up the field with him.

"Alone today?"

At the question, Danny tore his gaze away from watching Lex and Xander. The woman that came up to him approached so quietly that Danny never even noticed until she spoke. Usually he was much better at being aware of his surroundings, though that was more toward ghostly attacks than a single mother coming to speak with him. Leah Salgado usually palled around with a few of the other single mothers that spent much of their time gossiping about everything under the sun, and especially about the school and the parents of the other students. They were all right to talk with, at times, though Danny felt uncomfortable whenever they started talking about the other parents.

"Yeah," Danny answered, blinking at the short, rounded woman with crimpy brown hair wafting gently on the breeze. "My cousin is busy." Doing what, Danny was sure he didn't want to ask. He never really knew where Dan disappeared to for weeks sometimes, but he was confident that Clockwork wouldn't allow his evil future to do anything bad.

Biting his tongue, he held back mentioning anything about Kwan. They had seen the teacher with Danny at the camp, but Danny hoped the other parents assumed it was only because of Xander. While Kwan and Dan seemed to be doing well in their relationship, Danny doubted Kwan wanted everyone to know about it, especially the closed minded parents that would try to get him fired if they learned that he was bisexual. His jaw clenched tightly as anger burned through his veins that people would still do something like that. Kwan was a good teacher and the students liked him. His preference in life partners shouldn't have any effect on his teaching position.

Ms. Salgado nodded as her brown eyes gazed out over the field. After several moments, she turned back to Danny. "And your wife?"

It was a simple question. Only three little words. But it felt like a hard punch to the gut that left Danny gasping for air. He stared at her for longer than he probably should with his blue eyes wide and his slack jaw hanging open. Ms. Salgado blinked several times as Danny remained silent, unable to answer her question.

"I'm sorry," she said with some awkwardness, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as her gaze drifted away from him. "Dash mentioned that your wife was on a business trip back at your son's birthday. I assumed that she would have returned by now." Glancing back over at him, she raised her eyebrows curiously.

His mind blanked, unable to think of a response to give the woman. Lex's birthday party was before his whole breakdown in front of Dash, that still put a flush of heat upon his cheeks when he thought about how embarrassing it was to sob like that in front of his old high school bully. Dash wouldn't have known what happened to Sam at that point in time. He was thankfully saved from having to address the woman's question when Lex and Xander dashed up to him with granola bars and juice boxes in hand.

"Dad, did you see my goal?" Lex asked excitedly while Xander bit off a large chunk of his granola bar.

"Yeah, that was amazing," Danny replied, though he had actually missed it thanks to Ms. Salgado's sudden question. "Uh, sorry, Ms. Salgado," he winced with an apologetic look, "the boys and I have somewhere to be now."

"We do?" Xander questioned around his mouthful of granola as he tilted his head, confusion clouding his blue eyes.

"Yeah. Remember?" Lex said with a nudge and a short glare that told his friend to play along.

"O-Oh! Oh yeah!" Xander nodded his head a few times. "Now I remember!" He grinned up at Danny. "You promised us ice cream after camp today."

Danny wanted to argue, but seeing that curious glance from Ms. Salgado, he decided against it. "Right. Ice cream," he agreed with a forced smile. "So you'll have to excuse us." He bowed his head to the woman before ushering the two boys off to his car. Once they all climbed in, he felt like he could breathe easier without the question about Sam lingering over his head.

"What did she want?" Lex asked curiously, sitting in the back with Xander as they enjoyed the remainder of their snacks.

"It wasn't anything important," Danny answered as he pulled the car away from the curb. Driving toward the ice cream shop, he really hoped none of the other parents would approach him to ask about Sam. With a sigh, he realized he should probably explain that Sam died, but it wasn't something he could just blurt out in conversation. He only knew the other parents through brief meetings because their children were in the same class. It didn't seem like any of their business to know what happened to Sam.

By the time Dash returned from work later that night, Danny decided to allow the boys some time to play video games. Xander started to get really good at them, and even though the doctor showed interest in playing too, Dash held off on actually buying any video games for his son. It seemed silly to Danny, but he wasn't going to argue with how Dash decided to do things where his son was concerned. While the boys were busy in the front room, Danny started to fix a nice hot cup of coffee for the exhausted looking doctor, who leaned back on his arms against the counter.

Danny's mouth pursed as he stared at the shiny silver of the pot, debating the best way to bring up the topic to the man. He could always simply ignore it, let the whole event slide on the rug and go forgotten, but he couldn't ignore the need to say something about it. Steam wafted slowly from the spout but the pot had yet to whistle to signify the water was nice and hot.

"I spoke with Ms. Salgado today," he started, his voice quiet with only a hint of uncertainty in how to actually tell Dash what was said.

"Oh?" One of his eyebrows twitched upward as Dash stared at him, almost surveying the half ghost's expression like he was trying to gauge what reaction was wanted out of him. "How did that go?"

Danny turned, landing a narrow eyed glare upon the doctor. "She wanted to know where Sam is since you seem to have informed some of the other mothers that she was away on a business trip when I had Lex's birthday party." He didn't notice the rise of his voice until the kitchen suddenly fell silent with only the soft whistle from the pot and his heavy breaths disrupting the quiet.

"Okay." Dash cringed as he rubbed at the back of his neck. The action reminded Danny more of an awkward teenager than a grown man. "Perhaps I should have just kept my big mouth shut when they started asking me questions."

"You think?" Danny snapped, his hands curling and nails dragging over the hard granite top. "Why did you even tell them anything?"

"What was I supposed to say?" Dash questioned calmly, but Danny could see anger growing in his dark blue eyes. "Did you want me to tell them she was dead? It wasn't any of their business what happened to Sam. They didn't need to know the truth. And it wasn't something I should have been spreading around like gossip. I figured if you wanted anyone to know the truth, _you_ would be the one telling them."

"And how's that going to look when I finally _do_ tell them the truth and it comes out that you lied about it?" Danny glanced hesitantly toward the doorway of the kitchen, halfway expecting the boys to be there watching them with fearful expressions. Turning back to Dash, he lowered his voice. "Especially since we got together afterward. They might think you lied to eliminate the competition. Or something weird like that."

Dash shrugged. "Maybe I did want to eliminate the competition without realizing it." The admission of that possibility set Danny back, and he could only stare at the doctor. "Anyway," Dash continued like the statement wasn't important, "I can always tell them that I misheard you talking to Jazz and thought you mentioned that Sam was off on a business trip. They have no way of knowing that I already heard from Paulina about Sam dying." His expression turned a bit more serious as he frowned. "And you were clearly not in the right place to even consider the idea of dating just yet. If those women had learned that you were single, they might have started trying to weasel you into dates. I was actually trying to save you from that harassment. Having single mothers being overly obvious in their attempts to get a date out of you wasn't the type of pressure you needed to deal with at that time."

Danny opened his mouth, wanting to snap out angrily at the man for having lied to other parents about Sam. "You're right," he mumbled, lowering his head as he sighed. "I don't think I would have handled things very well if the single moms were looking for a date from me. I wasn't ready to throw myself back into dating. I didn't think I ever would be." He glanced toward Dash. "But I'm really glad you were there to help me through it."

"Isn't that what friends are for?" Dash grinned as he got down a mug from the cupboard so that Danny could pour the cup of coffee for him.

"Yeah," Danny agreed with a crooked smile. "But no more spouting out lies. If any of the parents ask you anything about me that you think they don't need to know, just tell them you don't know anything. Or just don't say anything at all."

"I was wrong, and I'm sorry. I won't do it again." Dash caught Danny's hand and gave it a small squeeze, their little show affection when the boys were around to catch them.


	4. Greener on the Other Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny isn't too keen on complying with the boys' wishes, but Dash tips the scales against him.

"Please, please, please!"

Dash closed his book, setting it aside on the coffee table, when he heard the voices of two boys begging for something. For what they were pleading, he didn't know, but he could already imagine Danny's exasperated expression as the boys continued to pester him.

Danny. The name still felt strange for him to say, or even think, instead of referring to the raven haired man by his last name. The habit was hard to break, and sometimes he still fumbled when speaking to the man and it came out as "Fen- Danny." On occasion, irritation would flash in those bright blue eyes and his mouth would press thin whenever he caught those slipups, and Dash was certain he would get an earful from the half ghost about not calling him Fenton anymore.

When he entered the kitchen, Dash frowned at the two boys standing before the other man. They had their hands clasped in front of them with that usual puppy dog pout on their faces whenever they wanted to persuade them into giving them whatever they wanted. Dash thought it was difficult to resist when he only had his son to deal with, but now with the pair of boys teaming up, it bordered on impossible to ignore the double pout.

"What do they want now?" Dash questioned as he lifted an eyebrow at Danny, whose waned expression suggested he was seconds away from caving in and giving the boys what they wanted.

Reaching up, Danny rubbed tiredly at his forehead. "I was working out a training schedule and mentioned that we should probably hold them in the Ghost Zone if we were going to practice the Ghostly Wail. Now Lex wants to take Xander along for the trip." His mouth curved downward in disapproval as he stared down at the boys and folded his arms.

Ghost talk was another strange thing that came up frequently now in their conversations, and sometimes it hit him hard and left him staring blankly at the wall as it all sank into his head. He was dating Danny Phantom. He spent a large amount of his time in the presence of his hero. It slipped his mind most of the time because when Dash was with the half ghost, Danny acted so normal. Danny would talk about his experiences fighting ghosts, the battles he won, when prompted, but he didn't boast about it on end to the point where Dash wanted to punch him in the face to make him shut up about it. Danny talked about his ghostly accomplishments like they weren't even minor achievements in life, treating them more like he was retelling events from one of his novels. Dash rather liked that about him. Some people would say "you should never meet your hero" because there was always that chance that his hero would turn out to be a major jerk with a big ego. But Danny wasn't like that, and Dash was glad he didn't have to see his hero in that negative light.

"The Ghost Zone," Dash repeated ponderously, the other worldly name rattling around in his head. He heard the name often enough from Danny's stories, but now it really stuck out in his mind. "I'm actually kind of curious to see this Ghost Zone." There was that one time during freshmen year where their town got pulled into it, but while he was panic stricken over the whole event, he didn't really take much time to really look at the surroundings beyond the shield protecting Amity Park.

Danny's brow creased as the words processed in his head. "You _want_ to go into the Ghost Zone?" His mouth hung slightly open in his surprise.

"Come on, Dad!" Lex begged, tugging at his father's pant leg.

"Can we please?" Xander pleaded with the biggest pout on his face that Dash could ever recall seeing.

"Why not?" Dash shrugged like they were talking about going to the park rather than journeying into the mysterious realm where ghosts dwelled when they weren't haunting the real world. "You're not going to take your son to any spot that would be too dangerous, so we won't be at any great risk. And if you're worried that something might happen while we're in there, you can give me some of those weapons in the lab," because he made Danny show him the laboratory after learning that the man worked on ghost hunting inventions in his spare time, "so that I can fight too."

Danny's mouth pursed, and a quiet fury burned in his eyes as he held Dash's gaze. "I really hate it sometimes when you side with the boys then make a totally logical argument for why I shouldn't say no." He sighed tiredly, the anger melting from his expression as he raked a hand through his hair. "Fine. We'll take a trip into the Ghost Zone." He frowned as their sons cheered. "This is all on you if something goes wrong." His eyes narrowed as he pointed accusingly at Dash. Then he led the way down the stairs into the laboratory.

"Can we take my bike?" Lex asked, sticking close to his father as Danny examined his weaponry to decide what would be best to give the doctor.

The bike Lex referred to sat over in the corner of the laboratory: a nice shiny motorcycle perfectly sized for the eight year old. When he first saw it, Dash could hardly believe that Danny would buy something, or more likely built it, that dangerous for his son to ride. Danny explained that it was a birthday present from Vlad Masters, who was his parents' college friend, and he was positive that Vlad got it for Lex for the single purpose of annoying Danny. But the half ghost only allowed his son to ride the motorcycle while in the Ghost Zone and under his strict supervision. The remote control that Vlad gave Danny allowed him to operate the motorcycle if Lex tried to wander too far away from his father. It also had a locator on it, just in case anything should happen.

"Not today," Danny said as he picked up a bazooka type blaster and a much smaller pistol styled weapon. When he approached Dash, he hesitated, a thought seeming to pass through his mind. "Maybe we should pay a visit to Skulker and Ember's lair," he suggested as he handed the weapons over to Dash. "It'll be a fairly safe spot, and with Skulker and Ember around, that's two more adults to fight if trouble decides to try wielding its ugly head."

"That could be wise," Dash agreed as he strapped the bazooka to his back then secured the holster for the pistol about his waist. When something occurred to him, he turned a frown onto Danny. "I doubt you want to carry all of us through the Ghost Zone. How are we supposed to get around in there?"

"Lex has gotten fairly good at flying." Danny grabbed something from one of the supply closets. "I can carry Xander, and if you like, you can use this." He tossed the object toward the ground, and the circle expanded and stretched into a board that hovered several inches from the floor.

"You have just about everything, huh?" Dash wore a teasing smirk as he stepped carefully onto the board that dipped under his weight.

The rings of light passed over Danny's body, and Dash still couldn't get used to witnessing that transformation. One moment he stared at Fenton, and in the next, Phantom took his place. "I find it's usually best to prepare for any situation," Danny said, his gaze shifting away from Dash to see his son transform similarly. Unlike his father whose outfit was black and white, Lex wore a red and white costume, a dark red that almost could have matched his hair if not for the purple tone of it. "Obviously," Danny continued with a slight frown, "you can't actually prepare for everything." The hint of sadness tinged his green eyes, and Dash knew immediately that he was reflecting back on Sam's death.

Yes, Dash agreed, it was impossible to prepare for everything that life threw at them. He watched Danny tear his gaze away from his son then walked over to the big yellow and black door that was the Portal into the Ghost Zone. After he unlocked it, the doors opened, gears grinding until the doors fully opened and all that could be seen within the Portal was a swirl of green. It didn't look like the most inviting place, and if that was the kind of place where ghosts had to live, Dash wasn't surprised that many of them escaped into the real world. He dropped his dark blue eyes to his son, wondering if the sight would give his son more nightmares. Instead of appearing frightened by it, Xander wore a curious expression as he gazed into the endless green.

"Are you boys ready to go?" Danny asked with a bright smile that masked his pain far too easily, but Dash wouldn't pester the half ghost about that point.

"Yes!" Lex shouted excitedly, pumping his little fists into the air as he sprung from the floor and floated there. He certainly had practically mastered the ability of flight.

Danny crouched down, giving Xander the chance to climb onto his back and ride piggy back style. When he stood up again, Danny turned to the blond man. "Ready?"

Dash pressed the button on the front of the board, and it jerked forward in a motion that nearly knocked him off balance and onto the floor. He quickly slammed his foot down on the button behind him that jolted the board to a halt. The buttons were a lot more sensitive than he expected.

"I think I can get a handle of this thing," Dash said, chuckling awkwardly. He would have to be careful or the board would go speeding off and he would probably be left behind flailing his limbs as he descended into the endless abyss of the Ghost Zone. Was it an endless abyss? He supposed he would find out after he followed Danny through the Portal. After Danny and the boys entered the Ghost Zone, Danny calling after Lex not to fly too fast or get too far ahead of them, Dash gingerly pressed the accelerator that pushed him and board forward through the Portal.


	5. Common Ground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, finding that one thing two people have in common is all they need to be friends.

"Can you say Pau-Li-Na?" she asked with an encouraging smile as she sat in front of the toddler.

Hunter blinked bright green eyes that matched the same color as Ember and Skulker's eyes, the toddler's hair alternating stripes of neon green and bright blue, and skin a pale bluish gray. Hunter's lips pressed together, and Paulina held her breath as she waited to see what the ghost would say. Then the toddler raised chubby little arms and let out a shout of, "BOOM!"

"Don't be too disappointed," Ember told her, patting her on the shoulder. "I haven't even been able to get Hunter to call me Mom. I blame Skulker." She shot a withering glare at the hunter.

"What did I do now?" Skulker asked, almost immediately sensing that his wife was angry with him. He had broken away from his conversation with Steven, who was dressed in casual clothing.

And, as Paulina insisted, Steven wasn't carrying any weapons. They had shared an apartment together for the past two months, and whenever her ghostly guests came for a visit, she would gather up all of his weapons and lock them up in a storage that only she had the key to. Steven wasn't like the other Guys in White, with that idiotic narrow minded way of thinking that all ghosts were evil. He showed fascination with them, wanting to learn more about ghosts, but Paulina wanted to keep the peace between humans and ghosts when they mixed in her apartment. Ember had even forced Skulker to come in a secondary robotic suit stripped of all weaponry. The hunter ghost was, needless to say, not happy about it, but he preferred the weaponless suit to appearing before them all in his true form.

"It's because of all your weapons that Hunter only says things like 'boom' and 'bang' and 'ka-boom.'" Ember folded her arms, giving him that angry look that only she could pull off to make Skulker quake in his suit.

"Hunter can say more than that," Skulker said as a frown stretched across his metal face. "What about all that music stuff you teach Hunter? It's all B flat and amps and other shit like that." He huffed as he crossed his arms. "Anyway, what's wrong with it? The kid needs to know about weapons."

"We don't even know what sort of special skill Hunter is going to have," Ember pointed out. "What if Hunter is musically inclined like me?"

"That doesn't mean Hunter shouldn't know anything weapons?"

The parents locked eyes in the usual glaring contest that occurred whenever they argued with one another. Sometimes, when listening to them, Paulina had to wonder how the two of them ever even fell in love, let alone had a child together. Given Skulker's true size, which Ember told her that the hunter practically fit nicely in the palm of one hand, Paulina wasn't even sure how the pair managed to... conceive a child. That was apparently a trade secret among ghosts, and they wouldn't say a word about it. Danny apparently had no idea about it either though. Paulina had asked once out of curiosity.

"Maybe one of these days we can leave the girls to have a girls night out, and the two of us can talk shop," Steven suggested, leaning up against the wall as he stood beside Skulker. "I've been having trouble with the spectral stasis grenade that the Guys in White have developed. Most times, it's just a dud. Other times, it," his mouth pressed together and his nostrils flailed in that way that meant he wanted to rant about the idiocy of the Guys in White, "makes the ghost explodes. I've been tinkering with it so that it's more stable and less of an extreme one way or the other. I don't want to hurt ghosts, unless absolutely necessary when they're trying to kill me or an innocent person. The grenade is supposed to be a safe weapon that emits a specific sound wave that reacts to ghosts' ectoplasm and basically paralyzes them without them feeling any pain."

Ember sighed tiredly. "Great," she mumbled to Paulina. "Now they're going to do nothing but talk about weapons."

"Gruna go boom?" Hunter held out arms toward Ember.

"Yes, yes," Ember said as she picked up her child and placed the toddler in her lap. "Grenades go boom."

"I'd just like to point out first," Skulker said to Steven, "that not all humans are innocent. A ghost might be attacking a specific human for a reason, such as that person was involved in their death. So don't think that all humans are some pure, perfect, innocent angels or something. You have just as many demons among your kind as we do ours."

Steven nodded. "Yes, I imagine there are a good number of those demons among the Guys in White."

"I'm surprised he's allowed to admit, or even think, something like that," Ember said as Hunter held onto her index fingers. She lifted her arms up and down, making her child's arms dance as Hunter laughed happily.

"Well, he does work with Darren," Paulina said like that meant something, but from the slight wrinkling of Ember's brow, she realized that the singer didn't really know anything about the man. "Darren led the investigation when that freak killed Sam. Even though he's in the Guys in White, he acts completely different from the rest of them. He doesn't see ghosts as a whole as evil." She shrugged. "I guess all the people on his team sort of share that way of thinking, or it rubbed off on them." She smiled at Steven. "And I'm really glad whichever way it happened."

Ember rolled her eyes and gave Paulina a nudge. "You have it so bad." Paulina couldn't stop her blush at the comment.

"Now," Skulker was saying, the two men lost in their talk about weapons, "I think the problem with the grenade is that every ghost has its own ecto signature. While one ghost might react perfectly to the sound wave produced by the grenade, others might not. There's probably a small sliver of ghosts that will actually respond to that specific frequency. It might give a few more pause for a brief moment, but they'd probably eventually break out of it. The duds are the ones that it has zero effect on. The ones that explode," Skulker grimaced, "well, let's just say that's a really bad frequency for them."

Steven's mouth pursed in thought as he drummed his finger along one bicep. "So basically the weapon idea is a complete failure? It's not good if it only works on a few, doesn't work on most, and makes some ghosts explode."

"Not necessarily," Skulker argued, holding up a hand to stop Steven from saying more. "What you probably need is a scanner that will identify the ghost's signature then a way to recalibrate the grenade to the particular frequency that will affect that ghost."

"Oh, looks like someone is getting tired." Paulina grinned as she reached over and gave the yawning toddler a poke in the stomach. Hunter squirmed in Ember's lap, face scrunching up.

"I guess maybe it's time to head home and let this little one get some rest." Ember stood, lifting Hunter up in her arms. "Danny has it easy. Since Lex is part human, he's perfectly fine spending time outside of the Ghost Zone. Hunter still has a while before going long periods of time without the constant ectoplasm cycling through him from the Ghost Zone's atmosphere."

"Is that true for all ghosts?" Steven questioned curiously, always wanting to learn new things about ghosts. "Or just for ghosts born from two ghosts?"

"It's better for new ghosts of any type to stick to the Ghost Zone for a while," Skulker explained. "The recently dead have trouble gaining enough substance to form an actual body if they stay out of the Ghost Zone."

Steven nodded like it all made perfect sense to him as he and Paulina followed the two ghosts to the door. The ghostly pair donned their human appearances, and Ember cloaked her child in a small blanket since Hunter hadn't quite learned that ability yet. After goodbyes were made and the family of ghosts were gone, Steven pulled Paulina into a hug, circling his arms around her waist.

"I like him," Steven said, grinning.

Paulina rolled her emerald eyes with half a smirk. "Only because you can talk weapons with him."

"Yeah, well," Steven shrugged, "better than not having anything to talk about, right?"

Paulina shook her head, but it was a relief that the two men were able to get along.


	6. Letting Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their plans for dinner take a sudden turn after Dan asks for a name.

"So what was his name?"

Kwan rolled his aqua green eyes toward the ceiling before he twisted his head around to stare at the ghost beside him. "Are you still on that?" He sighed out tiredly when he saw the deep frown on the ghost's face and the intensity in his red eyes. "I thought you weren't going to bother me about that anymore."

Dan's mouth pressed thin as he focused his attention back on stir fried vegetables to make sure they didn't burn, though he looked like he was two seconds away from making the flame beneath the wok into a giant fireball. "It still bothers me," he grumbled, prodding at the vegetables cooking in the wok.

"You're not inspiring me very much to tell you anything." Kwan frowned with worry as he focused on his own cooking. Dan had left the topic alone since it first came out, but it suddenly popped up again. Out of nowhere. Kwan wondered how much time the ghost actually spent thinking on what he told him about that event.

"I'm not going to do anything bad." Dan rolled his eyes. "Danny would kick my ass if I killed the man." He added in a low mutter, "Though he probably deserves it." He sighed when he caught Kwan frowning darkly at him, clearly having heard him. "I don't want to hurt him. Physically. I just," Dan shrugged, "want to scare him. Well, scare the absolute shit out of him so that the next time he thinks he owns the rights to fuck someone against their will, he'll think twice about it. Because no matter who this shit is, he is _not_ god's gift to mankind and no one owes him anything they don't want to give him."

Kwan tilted his head in consideration. The man he met at the party at Dash's college that night probably deserved to have the living daylights scared out of him, but the idea of revenge left a bitter taste in Kwan's mouth. The man didn't deserve to be allowed to get away with nearly raping someone. No rapist did. And Kwan had that sickening feeling that the man wasn't the type to stop just because he failed one time at getting what he wanted. He didn't want to be ruled by the near rape. Whether that meant being too scared of intimacy and betrayal to go that far into a relationship or being consumed by the idea of seeking revenge upon the man. He just wanted to live his life and be happy.

But how he could he ever be happy with that sinking thought that right at that moment the man could be attacking someone else the same way he attacked Kwan?

"I'll tell you," Kwan said, keeping his gaze upon the chunks of chicken slowly cooking in the thick sauce in the pan before him, "but only so long as you promise you'll only scare him. I just don't want him hurting anyone else, or trying to, and that's all."

Dan nodded. "Nothing more than scaring him. I promise."

Kwan glanced up at him, seeing the solemn promise upon the ghost's face. "Eddie Olsen." He easily plucked out one of the chunks of chicken from his pan with the pair of chopsticks he was using to push them around in the sauce. When Kwan held it out, Dan opened his mouth, ready to taste the bite sized piece, but at the last second, Kwan turned it away and stuck the chicken into his own mouth with a grin. "Mm, tasty."

Dan frowned as Kwan turned off the heat under his pan. Then, when Kwan was distracted, he leaned over and licked the tiny bit of sauce clinging to the corner of the man's mouth. He grinned in amusement when Kwan jumped in surprise. "You're right," he agreed, twisting the knob to off and shutting off the flame to the wok. "Tasty." His gaze slid toward Kwan, and the corner of his mouth pulled upward in a smirk that brought a faint pink color to the man's bronze cheeks. He always liked when Kwan blushed.

The man shook his head, trying to screw up his face like he was upset as he reached for the plates in the cabinet next to him. "You're not planning on doing any of that scaring tonight, are you?" Kwan questioned, holding out one plate for Dan so that they could serve their dinner.

Dan gave him a look, like he was considering which answer he thought the man wanted to hear. "No," he answered slowly. "Why?"

Kwan shrugged as he turned to the stove, keeping his gaze off the ghost. "I just thought tonight could be," he rolled a shoulder, "special."

Dan set aside his plate then stepped closer to the man. "Special how?" A curious note entered his voice.

Aqua green eyes darted quickly toward the ghost then away again as a blush steadily grew darker upon Kwan's cheeks. "W-Well," he licked his lips then swallowed, "it _has_ been nearly a year."

"Ten and a half months," Dan corrected then shrugged when the man glanced at him. "But who's counting?"

"Right," Kwan said slowly, bobbing his head. "Anyway-" He hesitated, nervousness twisting about inside him. The thought of even eating dinner was starting to make him sick as he considered what he was going to tell Dan. "I thought-" He set down his own plate then rubbed a hand over his face. This was harder to say than he thought it would be. "I think I'm ready. For the next step. Uh, you know, for us to, um-"

"Have sex," Dan finished bluntly, biting back a grin as Kwan's face practically resembled a tomato with how bright red it turned. "You don't have to force yourself." He touched a hand to Kwan's face, his eyes softening. "This isn't all about sex for me. I can wait until you're truly ready."

"Truly ready." Kwan sighed out as he closed the distance between them, pressing into Dan's body. "Dan, I don't feel pressured into saying yes." He kissed the ghost on the mouth. "You've never demanded anything from me." His hands slid down the well muscled chest. "You've cared about my feelings and wanting to get to know me." He leaned more into the ghost, trailing his mouth down to kiss at the Dan's strong jaw line. "I don't feel scared of this." He kissed the ghost's throat, hearing Dan moan as he wrapped his arms around the man, pulling until not an inch of space could be found between their bodies. "Nervous, god yes. But not scared."

"Forget dinner," Dan growled, lifting Kwan into his arms, and the man wrapped his legs around the ghost's waist. "We can heat it up later." He found Kwan's mouth again as he guided them toward the exit of the kitchen. He missed the doorway, pressing Kwan's back up against the wall next to it and knocking down some papers that the man had pinned there.

Kwan laughed breathlessly as he tore his mouth away from Dan's. "I knew I should have waited until after dinner to say anything," he mumbled into Dan's ear before catching the lobe in his mouth. His hands slid into the white flames of Dan's hair, feeling only the tickle of warmth from them. Warmth that seemed to spread through him as Dan growled against his throat and ground his body into the wall.

Why he had been so scared of this, Kwan couldn't even remember in that moment, his hands slipping under Dan's clothing, no longer the black and white jumpsuit when he wasn't off fighting ghosts. His fingers danced over the ghost's back, enjoying the feel of strong muscles just beneath his oddly colored flesh.

Of course he knew the reason. How could he not? That night with Eddie had sent a fear through him that he never expected to feel in his life. Kwan never liked bullying, only participated in it because he didn't want to lose his friends, or what he thought were his friends. Dash and Paulina had been the only ones that really mattered to him in the end. He had always been strong. He never thought he would ever be pinned down by some guy that he knew for all of five minutes and demanding unwanted sex from him. It had terrified him and scared him away from ever being in a serious relationship.

Dan was nothing like Eddie. Kwan could tell from his looks that Dan thought about moments like this one right now from time to time. It wasn't all that Dan wanted from him, but it was obvious he was very interested in it. Kwan was interested too. He simply needed the time to get over his fears and realize that not everyone was going to treat him like Eddie did. Dan was caring. If he said stop right now, Kwan was certain the ghost would restrain himself. Dan wouldn't hurt him. That knowledge only made it easier for him to allow himself to give into his own desires.

"I think," Kwan gasped into Dan's ear, holding back a moan as he felt a hand sliding up his thigh, "this would be more comfortable in the bedroom."

"That brain of yours really is wasted on being just a second grade teacher."

Kwan breathed out unsteadily as his back passed through the wall. Dan phased their way to the bedroom, and Kwan was pretty certain he did the same to their clothes because they were gone by the time the pair collapsed onto his bed. He swallowed thickly, his flush heating more than just his face as he felt Dan's naked body on top of his own. Dan pushed himself up on his arms and stared down at Kwan with a lusty need in his eyes.

"Are you sure?" Dan questioned, clearly restraining himself. "You're ready for this?"

Kwan dropped his gaze, his eyes roaming over broad shoulders and tight muscles as insides fluttered with his lingering nervousness about what was about to happen between them. He gulped as his gaze continued lower, following the trail of white hair. For a moment, it all seemed overwhelming, and his heart beat faster in his chest, the sounds of it thundering in his ears, and he was nearly certain that the ghost must hear it too.

"Yes." Kwan pulled Dan to him, kissing him deeply. "Now stop asking that."


	7. The Next Step

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny and Dash come to an agreement after a late night of fighting ghosts.

"Can we have some money?"

Dash frowned up at the two grinning faces above him. "What is it for?" He lifted an eyebrow at the pair, wondering what mischievous plan the two boys had this time.

"There's a man selling ice cream," Xander explained, standing up a bit straighter as he pointed behind him.

Dash pushed himself up on one elbow and craned his head around to see the ice cream vendor on the other side of the field. The day was fairly warm, and after an exhausting time kicking the soccer ball around with the boys, Dash thought the idea of ice cream sounded amazing. It probably couldn't compare to the ice cream Danny made, but the ice cream vendor was a lot closer than driving back to Danny's house.

Dash paused to look around the park as a frown settled back onto his face. "Where's your dad?" He turned his gaze onto the young blond boy, expecting him to know to where his father disappeared.

A pout formed as Lex folded his arms, and Dash had a pretty good guess what the boy was going to say. "A ghost popped up, so Dad went to deal with it." He turned his blue eyes away with a grumble of, "I could have helped."

Dash shifted so that he was kneeling before Lex and placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Your father just doesn't want to put you in a situation where you might get hurt. He knows you're learning to control of your powers and getting stronger, but he still worries a lot about you. He wants you to be safe. Fighting ghosts isn't something someone your age should have to worry about."

"Dad was only fourteen when he started fighting ghosts," Lex argued, still pouting.

"And you're only nine." Dash sighed at the continued grumpiness of the boy. "Having to fight ghosts that young, that's exactly why your father doesn't want you getting wrapped up in fighting ghosts. He knows the stress and pain of fighting ghosts and struggling to keep it secret and still have time for school and family and friends. It's a hard life. You should enjoy your time being a kid. Don't grow up before you have to."

Dash guessed that thought was a little late. Lex already had to do more growing up than most children his age after having to experience the loss of his mother, seeing her die right before him, and having a madman trying to kill him and his father. He could definitely understand why Danny wanted to keep Lex away from fighting ghosts until he was much, much older.

"All right." Dash stood up, digging a hand into his pocket to retrieve his wallet. "Let's go grab some ice cream. Then we can head home, and maybe," he gave the boys a very pointed look, "if you're really good, I'll supervise a little training session while Danny's busy."

That suggestion seemed to drive away any pouting as the boys cheered. Shaking his head with a small laugh, he followed after the boys to the ice cream vendor, listening as they discussed which kind they wanted to get. Lex carried the soccer ball with him, tossing it in his hands. He had gained a bit of height over his friend, though it wasn't by much yet.

Once they got their ice cream, Dash led the boys back to the car, warning them that they would have to clean up any mess if they let the ice cream drip onto the seats or the floor. They promised that they wouldn't make a mess, but Dash gave them a critical look as if he didn't believe them.

This wasn't the first time he was playing supervisor to Lex when he practiced his powers. Danny gave him the rundown on things he should know. There was a devise that he could zap Lex with that would temporarily disable his ghost powers. It was mostly for a last resort if Lex got really out of control and couldn't be stopped. Dash hadn't had reason to test it out yet, but he was hoping it never came to that. Lex could have a bit of trouble with aiming attacks and sometimes he tried to use one power and ended up using a different one. Like when he tried shoot an ecto ray at a target but turned intangible and sank through the floor instead. The Ghostly Wail was strictly prohibited without Danny present and could only be used while they were in the Ghost Zone. Dash could remember that conversation between father and son well. Lex grew frustrated because he couldn't use the Ghostly Wail very well, and ever since the fight with Freakshow, his attempts were rather feeble.

"You learned to use it much younger than when I first learned it," Danny said, sitting with Lex at the edge of one of the land masses floating in the Ghost Zone. Dash had sat with Xander, who was looking at the strange vegetation growing there. "I was fourteen, and I struggled with it too. It was something I could only use as a last resort because it sucked up so much of my energy to use it. I could only summon up that energy when the situation turned really desperate. But after years of training, I managed to master it. Or at least, I learned to be able to use it freely and without draining myself. You're still very young. Don't get frustrated just because it's a struggle right now. You'll learn. You just need to practice it more."

And practice Lex did. He was improving with the Ghostly Wail, even if it felt frustratingly slow to him. Dash wouldn't admit it out loud, but he thought maybe it was good that Lex hadn't quite mastered it enough to use it regularly. He couldn't imagine their secret staying secret for very long if Lex got angry and suddenly let loose a Wail in a public setting. Maturity and restraint were two traits that he really needed to learn before he had that powerful skill in his repertoire.

Dash checked the time on the microwave clock and frowned. He already put the children to bed, and midnight was slowly creeping closer with no sign of Danny since that afternoon when they went to the park. Danny was a strong and skilled fighter, but Dash couldn't help worrying over the man when he disappeared for long periods of time with no word. He understood though. Danny couldn't simply stop in the middle of a fight to call him up and tell him that he wasn't going to be home any time soon. Doing that could put Danny in a dangerous situation because it caused him to be distracted. Dash understood but still worried.

When he heard the door creak as it opened, Dash abandoned his coffee on the table and walked out of the kitchen. Concern flickered through his dark blue eyes as he glanced over the man standing in the front hall. He didn't see any sign of injury, which allowed him to breathe out in relief.

"Sorry," Danny said with a hint of a wince. "I know I should have said something before just disappearing and I should have called at some point. But the one ghost I thought I was chasing turned out to be a gang of six and rounding up all of them took longer than I expected."

Dash shook his head as he closed the distance between them then drew Danny into a hug. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Danny offered no bravado as he leaned into the hug. "I'll remember next time to find a moment to call."

"Don't worry about that. Do you want some coffee? I just made a pot." Dash pulled out of the hug and started leading the way back to the kitchen.

A chuckle left Danny as he raked a hand through his raven hair. "You know," he said as he leaned against the counter while Dash got down another mug, "it seems like we're either all sleeping over at your house or we're all over here at my house."

Dash considered that as he poured the coffee. "We should move in together."

The comment caught Danny off guard, and his arm suddenly slipped through the counter, making him stumble before he righted himself again.

Dash bit back a laugh at that reaction. "We basically live together already. Like you said. And," he pushed the coffee mug toward Danny, "why should we pay for two houses? It makes more sense for us to pick one and live there together. Unless you think that's moving too fast?" He stared curiously at Danny, his exterior seeming calm, but inside he felt nervous, worrying that he suggested that idea too early.

Danny frowned at his coffee, staying silent for much too long, in Dash's opinion. "That does make the most sense," he agreed. "If we do move in together, though, we'd have to tell the boys. How long can we really keep our relationship secret from the boys if we're living in the same house?"

Dash tapped a finger on the counter in thought. "Maybe it's time to tell them. I think they can handle it." He thought for a moment then laughed. "Though maybe you should tell Lex without me. He might blast me after you tell him."

"Lex likes you, even if he denies it." Danny shook his head, seeming to hold back his own laugh. "No, you're right. He'd probably blast you." He grinned then glanced away as he scratched behind an ear. "But, um, can you move in here? It's just - I've got the lab all set up how I like it, and that Portal is a pain to take down and rebuild."

Dash frowned. He hadn't thought about that. In all honesty, he was thinking Danny would move into his house. Many of Xander's memories were in that house. "Rock, paper, scissors? Loser can't argue choice of where to live?" He held up a fist with a hopeful look.

Danny looked ready to argue then nodded. They shook their fists three times before throwing their hands. Danny threw paper. Dash threw rock. He frowned in disappointment as Danny slapped his hand over his closed fist.

"Are you really okay with it?" Danny asked hesitantly as he stared into Dash's eyes.

It didn't feel okay. That house was filled with so many memories, and he wasn't sure about leaving them all behind. But they were just memories, right? Living in the same house with Danny and his son, he and Xander would make new memories. Did the house really matter all that much when the memories would always remain in his head and his heart?

Dash nodded. "Yeah. I promised no arguing, right?" He tugged Danny closer and kissed him.


	8. Love over Lunch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kwan and Paulina talk about various things going on in their lives over lunch.

"You should have seen it," Paulina said with a happy sigh as she stirred her drink with her straw. "Endless blue oceans, white sand beaches. Almost always the perfect temperature. I almost wanted to just stay there. You really have to visit it sometime."

Kwan laughed, shaking his head. "Yeah, if I made that kind of money on a teacher's salary."

"Well, you _are_ the one that loves children so much that you decided teaching was the only way you'd ever feel like a parent," Paulina pointed out, lifting her drink to sip from the straw. She paused as the words hit her. "I didn't mean that-"

"No, you're right." Kwan frowned, lowering his aqua green eyes to the food still left on his plate. "I always thought I'd have a family. I know that's not something most guys thinking about, but I had lots of relatives. And they all came to visit a lot, and I babysat _a lot_ for my little cousins. It just seemed like the natural thing to want a child of my own one day. Then I started questioning my sexuality." He rolled his shoulder as he lifted his gaze to Paulina. "It not like I have zero interest in women, but I wasn't going to settle for someone just to start a family."

Paulina leaned her chin in her hand as she grinned at him. "And then a certain someone popped into your life."

A blush rose to his cheeks, and Kwan leaned back in his seat, turning his gaze away. "Yeah," he mumbled quietly. "Who would have imagined? Danny's evil future is the love of my life."

"My how our lives have changed." An amused smile tugged at Paulina's mouth. "I'm dating a ghost hunter. Dash is dating a half ghost. You're dating a full ghost. I don't think any of us could have imagined who we'd end up with back in high school."

"Well, especially Dash and me." Kwan smiled somewhat. "We weren't exactly all that nice to Danny."

"Dash more than you," Paulina corrected.

Kwan rolled his eyes. "But speaking of ghost hunters, how is it going with you and Steven?"

Paulina flushed lightly as she lowered her gaze. "He came out with me on that last modeling photo shoot. While I was busy laying around on the beach and posing in bikinis, Steven went off to talk to some of the locals about any ghost legends they had then went off to see if he could actually speak to any of the ghosts they mentioned. He found one. The ghost of a little boy that died when he slipped on some rocks while playing and fell off a cliff." She frowned sadly. "But he only plays a few little tricks on people. He likes pranks. Being just a kid, he wants to have fun, so Steven saw no reason to bother him. His pranks weren't doing any real harm to anyone. Though from what some of the locals say, some tourist that have hiked around the area where the boy died have said they felt someone pulling them back from the ledge of the cliff at times. It seems the little boy is playing guardian angel and making sure no one else meets his same fate."

Kwan nodded. "It's nice that he didn't turn into a vengeful spirit." But the story still made him frown. No child should die so young. "But," he stared at his friend, "you didn't really answer how things were going between you and Steven." He lifted his eyebrows curiously.

"I don't know." Paulina hunched her shoulders. "We've been dating for a while now, and we've even moved in together. Things seem to be going really well." She reached up to push a lock of her ebony hair back behind an ear. "I actually thought when he came on the trip with me that he was going to propose to me."

Kwan's eyes widened a touch. "Did he?"

Paulina shook her head, her mouth remaining downturned.

"Did you want him to?"

"I don't know." Her brow furrowed slightly. "When I first thought about it, I was kind of really excited, but I was also kind of sick to the stomach nervous."

"It's okay if you're not ready," Kwan said, reaching over to cover one of her hands. "You don't have to say yes if he does ask you, and even if you decide to say yes, you don't have to get married right away. You can plan a long engagement until you know you're ready to get married." His mouth twisted upward. "So far, Steven doesn't seem like the type of guy that would force you into anything that you don't want to do."

"Ha!" Paulina snorted, a grin finding its way to her face. "I'd like to see any man try to force me to do anything."

"Now that's the Paulina I know." Kwan grinned widely at her, although the memory of certain past boyfriends that Paulina had left a sour taste in his mouth. Dash wasn't the only one that wanted to do more than just kick Tyler out of the house.

"So," Paulina grinned, keeping a tight hold on Kwan's hand, "when were you planning on telling me?"

Kwan blinked in confusion. "Telling you what?"

"Oh, come on! Are you really going to make me say it?" Paulina sighed dramatically when Kwan continued to stare blankly at her, not knowing what exactly she meant. "Did you really think you could have sex and I wouldn't pick up on it?"

Kwan gulped nervously. "Well, I wasn't exactly trying to hide it," he mumbled, shifting awkwardly in his seat as his cheeks burned with a blush. "It was only two nights ago." This wasn't a conversation he had planned on having. With anyone. "I finally decided to face my fears of being physically intimate with another man."

"And?" Paulina pried curiously with a little nudge of her foot under the table.

"And," Kwan couldn't force the blush away from his face, and even his ears felt a little hot, "I definitely don't regret that choice."

"I'm so happy for you!" Paulina smiled fondly as she squeezed his hand gently. "Though perhaps you shouldn't tell Dash about that just yet. You know how he and Dan seem to still butt heads." She rolled her eyes as if to say, "Men."

Kwan chuckled, and some of the tension melted out of him. Dash might show dislike toward Dan, but even he couldn't argue that being in a relationship with Dan was a bad thing for his friend. Kwan felt like he had finally truly embraced all of who he was now that he wasn't fighting the idea of falling in love with another man.


	9. Talks and Threats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some talks are necessary before the move becomes a reality.

Lex watched his father with a frown upon his face as he prodded what remained of the pudding in his bowl. His father had that nervous look about him. It was that same look he got right before he told his son that they would be moving from Amity Park. Lex set his spoon down on the table, worry bubbling up in him as he wondered what exactly his father needed to tell him this time. He hoped it wasn't that they were going to move again. He liked it here. He didn't want to leave.

"Just say it already," Lex said with a groan as his father absently picked at the dead skin around his thumbnail. He flopped his arms down on the table, looking exasperated by his father's silence. "You have something to say, so you might as well get it out before your brain explodes from holding it in too long."

His father stared at him for a good long moment. Then he released a tired sigh as he reached up to rake a hand through his raven locks. "I don't want you to get upset over this." His father looked exhausted with bags under his eyes like he spent many sleepless night debating how to tell his son whatever it was that was on his mind.

"That depends on what it is you have to tell me." Lex frowned as his stomach twisted uncomfortably with dread. A chant repeated in his head, silently begging his father not to say they were moving again.

His father took a deep breath, and after slowly releasing it, he lifted his gaze back to his son. "Lex, I know you and Dash have had your disagreements in the past," he said, and Lex's brow furrowed as he tried to figure out where this conversation was going. "But, well," he reached up and rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced away, "the thing is, Dash and I, we've, um, sort of-"

"Dad!" Lex whined in his frustration of waiting on his father to spit out the words that he needed to say.

"Sorry." His father shook his head. "I'm trying to do this the right way. I don't want you getting upset." He frowned but seemed determined to tell his son what was on his mind. "Dash and I have been seeing each other, and we decided to move in together. But before we go through with that, we wanted to tell you and Xander about our relationship." He reached across the table and held onto his son's hand while Lex sat still, absorbing the new information. "We thought it would make more sense to live together since we pretty much spend all our time at one house or the other. But if you and Xander aren't happy about that arrangement, we don't have to go through with it."

Lex didn't know how to respond, and he stared at his father, who wore that pleading look of hope that his son wouldn't react badly to this news. "You mean the way Uncle Dan and Kwan are together?" He saw people giving the two men weird looks when they were watching over him and Xander sometimes and they went out places together, but he didn't understand why. Kwan made Dan happy, so Lex didn't see what the problem was. He did, as his father mentioned, butt heads with Dash a lot, but when he saw them together, Lex could see the father he remembered from when his mother was still alive returning. His father was happy, and that was the thing that mattered most to him.

His father nodded in response. "That isn't a problem for you though, is it?"

Lex shook his head. "He's good at teaching us how to play soccer." He grinned then caught himself when he saw the frown pulling across his father's face. "Not that you weren't good," he corrected quickly with a slightly flailing of his arms. "It's just Dash actually used to play sports and all. You know, like he knows little exercises for us to do to keep in shape and stuff."

His father's head bobbed a few times. "I was never really very athletic."

"So," Lex decided to drive the conversation away from the sports talk, "would that make Xan and me like brothers?"

"Something like that."

Lex nodded, lost in thought for a few moments. "So where would we be living?"

"About that," his father said, leaning on the table like he was about to share a secret with his son.

 

Dash lifted his head when he heard the soft knock at the door. "Come in," he said as he set down the pen that he was using to write notes in one patient's file.

"You have a visitor," his assistant announced when she opened the door.

Dash frowned at her because he was certain that he didn't have any more scheduled appointments for about an hour to give himself the chance to relax, if only for a little while. "Well, send them in." He turned around in his seat, deciding to get the visit over with since the patient was apparently here already.

The woman stepped aside, offering the patient space to enter the room. In the next moment, Dash blinked, surprise filling him as the familiar blond boy waltzed into his office. Lex wore a serious expression, brow furrowed deeply and lips pressed tightly together, as he walked over and climbed onto the examination table that put him a little higher up than Dash. His assistant left them, closing the door behind her.

"So what seems to be the problem?" Dash questioned, pushing past the shock of the boy coming to his office unexpectedly. "And where's your dad? Does he know you're here?"

"Dad had a meeting with his agent," Lex explained, his expression not changing from when he arrived. "So Aunt Elle is watching me. I convinced her to bring me down here."

"Oh." Dash felt like he was at a loss. "You didn't say what the problem was though. Were you not feeling well?"

His hands gripped the edge of the table, and Lex leaned forward, blue eyes narrowing. "Just so you know, I still-"

"Don't like me," Dash finished with a wave of his hand. The boy had said it so many times that it had little effect on the doctor. It almost became like a thing he had to say because it was expected of him.

Lex's nose flared briefly before he huffed out a breath. "Dad told me about the two of you."

His stomach nearly dropped out of him as Dash waited to see what the boy would say next. Crap. Lex was really going to blast him for that, wasn't he?

"He's been happy since meeting you." Lex folded his arms. "He needed that. He needed someone to help him move on and find happiness again. And I'm okay with the two of you being together. You two are always hanging out anyway because of Xan and me. But," he stated firmly and pointed a finger at the doctor, "if you hurt Dad, you'll be sorry." His eyes flashed green, and Dash gulped. Lex might not have full control of his ghost powers like his father, but he could still do some serious damage if he tried.

"I promise I have no intention of hurting your dad," Dash said seriously as he held the boy's gaze. "I really like your dad, and we've been taking things slowly because we didn't want to rush into something that might not work out and hurt not only each other but you and Xander as well." He was relieved that Lex wasn't threatening him to keep away from his father. "And I want you to know that I have no intention of trying to replace your mother in any way. I just want to share my life with your father and have our two families be happy as one. However, I'm still an adult, so even if I'm not your father, I can still discipline you if necessary."

Lex's mouth pursed, looking rather unhappy about that last part. "Fine," he grumbled in defeat. Then he hopped down off the examination table. "Aunt Elle said she would show me a few tricks that she's picked up on her own." He grinned, always eager to learn more about how to use his ghost powers.

Dash nodded. "Tell her hi from me." Lex agreed, and after a quick goodbye, the boy left the room.

Dash breathed out a sigh as he leaned back in his chair then ran a hand over his face. Some of the tension that he hadn't realized was building up in him ever since they decided to tell their children about their relationship melted away. That part, at least, was over. Xander had taken the news with great excitement. He liked Danny very much and always had fun when they all hung out together. He had already suggested living together long before Dash even realized that his feelings for Danny went beyond caring about him as only a friend, so Xander was thrilled that his suggestion was now coming true. The only thing they had to worry about now was the actual move into a single household.


	10. Old Keepsake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While cleaning out some of the clutter in his apartment, Kwan is forced to reveal something embarrassing about himself.

"So did you just invite me over to help you clean?" Dan asked, frowning as he dropped a box from one of the closets onto the coffee table in front of the couch. He lifted an eyebrow as the man seated on the couch, currently going through the contents of a different that was brought in earlier.

Kwan lifted his head and shot a glare at him. "I did say you didn't have to come over. I told you this would probably only bore you."

"What's with the sudden need to clean out your apartment?" Dan took up a seat next to Kwan and tugged the box he just carried in closer to himself.

Kwan shrugged as he pulled a book out of the box and give it a quick flip through then tossed it on top of the trash pile. "It just felt like the right time to finally go through all this crap and get rid of the stuff I don't need anymore." He snorted as he shook his head. "I don't really want to become some sort of hoarder."

Dan peeked into the box in front of him. "You do seem to be on your way to needing to have those people from that show come here to stage an intervention on your horrible hoarder tendencies."

Kwan rolled his eyes as he nudged Dan's leg with his own. "Are you about to tell me that you've never held onto anything in your life?" He paused, his arm freezing in the middle of reaching into his box. Then he turned to stare at the ghost seated beside him, not even bothering with his human disguise. "I don't think you've ever really said where you live." His brow wrinkled and his mouth did that cute frowning pout thing. "Well, I mean, I guess ghosts don't really sleep. But you have lairs and stuff. Do you have your own lair?"

Dan shook his head. "I just crash with Clockwork whenever I decide to spend time in the Ghost Zone." He smirked slightly as he glanced to Kwan. "Mostly just to annoy the hell out of him."

"You really put your spare time to good use."

"Well, not having a place of my own means I don't have to worry stupid clutter." Dan reached into the box and pulled out an item at random. He frowned as he held up the small, sleek black cloth. "What exactly is this anyway?"

Kwan glanced over, abandoning his box to see to what Dan referred. When he spotted the item in question, a soft pink rose to his cheeks. "It's nothing!" he shouted a bit too quickly as he reached to grab it away from Dan, but the ghost cheated, using his ability to turn intangible so that Kwan's hand passed right through it. Kwan narrowed his eyes at the ghost.

"You do realize that type of reaction only makes me want to force you to tell me about it, right?" Dan grinned like a predator smirking victoriously at his prey. His mouth stretched wide so that the tips of his fangs peeked out the slight part of his lips. "So you might as well just tell me."

Kwan groaned as he leaned forward, covering his face with his hands while his elbows balanced on his knees. "It's so embarrassing," he muttered, and for a moment that followed, Dan thought the silence meant the man wouldn't talk. "I don't know how much about me you remember from when you were Danny, but I kind of used to do impersonations a lot. And when I was a kid, I had this whole idea that I would be some sort of performer when I grew up. So I got the cape, and I would put on these little magic shows for my parents mixed in with little impersonations of famous people and some of the neighbors from where we lived. I was horrible!" He sat up straight and turned to Dan, his face as bright red as a tomato. "I could never actually successfully pull off any of the magic tricks, despite practicing them for hours. I can't believe my parents would actually sit through that. It must have been torture for them."

"It's not torture if they love you and wanted to encourage you." Dan grinned as he reached around to drape the cape around the man's shoulders, though the child sized cloth was far too small for him. "And I think that sounded pretty damn adorable."

"No, it's embarrassing, and I can't believe I actually told you about that." Kwan shook his head, his cheeks still tinged pink.

"But I like hearing about those kinds of things." Dan tugged the man closer, slowly, tentatively leaning in to kiss him with enough time to give Kwan the chance to say no. Things were much easier now that they had gotten over that hurdle and Kwan decided he was ready for the next big step in their relationship. But Dan was still cautious about overstepping. Kwan said yes once, but that didn't mean the answer was forever yes after that. "I like learning new things about you," he murmured against the man's lips.

Kwan rolled his eyes but grinned into the kiss. "I want to know something more about you then. Tell me something that you wouldn't tell anyone else."

"Hm." Dan tilted his head, trying to think of something that he could tell the man. "Well, I do know how to knit."

Kwan laughed and shook his head. "No," he slapped at the ghost's arm, "that's just a little factoid. I want something deeper than that."

"Okay. Let me think." Dan pressed his forehead to Kwan's and stared into those bright aqua green eyes. The silence stretched for a long time until a thought came to him. "I really want to give you that family you've always wanted."

"What?" Kwan pulled back, his eyes widening with surprise.

"You love children, and you're an amazing teacher, and you're really good at interacting with them." Dan cupped the man's face. "You deserve to have a child of your own to raise."

"Dan, that's," Kwan glanced away, frowning, "not really possible. Neither of us are really capable of, you know, conceiving a child."

"I know. And I know it sounds crazy. But I'm going to find a way to make it work. Because I want to be able to give you everything that you want." Dan pulled Kwan closer, kissing the man before he could say anything more. He could feel the tension in the man the moment their lips touched and started to pull away, but Kwan hung onto him, keeping him from ending the kiss as the tension melted out of him. "Does that mean it's okay if I look into options?" Dan gazed curiously at the man.

Kwan laughed, his warm breath washing over the ghost's lips. "I can't believe we're even talking about this." Then he nodded with a small smile. "Yeah. I have no idea how you think it would even be possible for the two of us to have a child together, but yeah."

"I might have an idea." Dan smirked as a thought began to work its way through his mind. "I think the cape should go into the keep pile. Maybe you can pass it down to our child."

"Our child?" Kwan bumped their foreheads together with a fond smile playing across his face. "I like the sound of that." After a quick kiss, Kwan took the cape and placed it into the keep pile.


	11. Bird in Paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven has something very special in mind for Paulina on their latest trip to a tropical island.

Hiking wasn't exactly an activity that Paulina did very often. She kept in shape, a necessity in her line of work where the photographers expected her to be the image of perfection. But her workout usually included jogging on flat terrain or weight lifting or even yoga. Hiking up a trail on unsteady ground and climbing over large boulders left her feeling winded the farther they walked was beyond - _way_ beyond - what she was normally used to for exercise.

And she was sweaty! Ugh! She didn't want to be sweaty when they were supposed to be on a romantic date.

Their trip to the tropical island was mainly for work. Paulina spent most of her days on the beach under the hot sun while wearing skimpy bikinis for advertisements. Sometimes she was lucky and she got wear regular clothing like Capri pants and a loose, light shirt, most often sleeveless. Steven, meanwhile, spoke to the locals, chatting to them about the legends of ghosts in the area, as he did whenever they traveled to the various shoot locations for Paulina's work, which usually meant exotic settings. Their nights, they spent together. They enjoyed a dinner at the local restaurants, as they had done that night, tasting new foods. They would walk along the beach and look at the ocean and the stars or explore the local village. Paulina loved having someone with whom to enjoy these moments and experiences.

More and more, Paulina found herself asking him about his work, her curiosity in ghosts increasing after discovering the truth about him and Desiree and Danny and his son Lex. She asked about everything he knew and the things he learned from the people that lived wherever they visited.

"Where exactly are we going?" Paulina asked, trying not to show that she was having difficulty breathing. Steven seemed to have an easier time hiking, and a competitive part of her was frustrated with that fact.

"It's a surprise," Steven answered and turned his head to grin over his shoulder at her. "The locals told me about it, and I wanted to show it to you."

The response didn't make her feel very happy. With a huff, Paulina pushed herself to keep up with him while praying that they would reach whatever magical sight he wanted to show her soon. After what felt like another twenty minutes of grueling hiking with only the crunch of leaves and rocks beneath their feet, the rustle of leaves in the trees, and the soft sounds of the jungle wildlife, Steven finally came to a halt at the edge of a tall cliff. Paulina glared at him, ready to grumble about the long uphill climb, but then her emerald gaze took in the sight from the cliff. She could see the island jungle extending to the west and the ocean beyond it. At the horizon, the sun had almost disappeared, the lingering pinks and oranges blending into violet and steadily darkening blue. It was a beautiful sight that they had nearly missed, but she imagined the starry night sky would be worth seeing from this vantage point too.

"Wow," Paulina breathed out as she sank down to sit on a log conveniently laid out near the edge. Other couples probably came up here in the past and moved the log there so that they could sit comfortably and enjoy the sight. "This is amazing. Definitely worth the hike. But oh!" She rubbed at her thighs as she stretched her legs out before her. "I'm definitely going to be feeling that in the morning."

"I thought you might appreciate the beauty of it." Steven joined her on the log.

They watched silently as the sun faded, hiding beyond the horizon and casting darkness over the ocean and island. Paulina now understood why he had acquired a flashlight for both of them. The jungle would be too terribly dark to walk back down the path to the village without a light to show them the way and prevent them from tripping and falling over upturn roots and large rocks.

"There was," Steven said, hesitancy in his voice as Paulina turned to stare at him, "another reason for wanting to bring you up here. Other than the sight." He leaned forward, balancing one elbow on his knee as he rubbed his other hand at the back of his neck. "There was something I wanted to give you."

As if by some cue, a bird suddenly appeared, flying up from below the edge of the cliff. It glowed with a faint green aura as it flew over to Paulina and perched gently upon her shoulder. She had enough experience now to recognize a ghost when she saw one, and though there were plenty of scary ones, this bird looked peaceful and beautiful.

"I do hope that's not supposed to be some sort of metaphor." Paulina stared at Steven with one elegant eyebrow raised.

Steven's mouth hung open before he shook his head with a light laugh. "No, what the bird is carrying."

Paulina blinked as she glanced back to the bird. From its peak dangled a little basket with a ring nestled into it. After plucking the ring out of the basket, she stared at it: a silver band with a butterfly made of small cut pink diamonds. "But," she snapped her gaze back to Steven, "this must have cost you a fortune."

Steven shook his head as he took the ring from her. "It was worth it. I remember seeing you staring at it when we passed that jewelry store." He took her hand, lifting his gaze to her. "You are the most amazing woman I have ever met. You are smart and talented and beautiful. You are kind and compassionate. If, somewhere down the line, we decide to have children, totally your choice, of course, I know that you'll be a wonderful mother. I've seen the way you are with Xander and Lex, and even Hunter. And I just want to spend the rest of my life with you." He held the ring poised over her ring finger, and Paulina forgot how to breathe in that moment. "Will you marry me?"

Paulina struggled for words, too shocked by the proposal to think of how to even speak. For the longest time, she had never imagined herself falling in love with someone. She had dated plenty, but it didn't take those men long before showing their true colors. Then, thanks to Desiree, Steven came into her life, and everything seemed so much better. She was happy and loved, and he treated her like no other man she dated ever had. It was like a dream for her.

"Yes!" she gasped out and watched as Steven smiled fondly at her, slipping the ring onto her finger. She leaned over and kissed him. The bird left her shoulder, fluttering down to land on her knee. "So," she said when she pulled back, a tiny grin tugging at her mouth, "how long did it take you to train the ghost bird?"

"Not very long." Steven turned his head to the bird. "Nuru is a very bright bird, and she seemed eager to help me with this little proposal idea."

"Well, thank you for helping, Nuru." Paulina said, reaching down to run her finger over the crest of the bird's head. Nuru nudged her head into the touch, chest puffing out somewhat like she was proud to have helped. Paulina thought for a moment before she grinned. "Say, Nuru. Would you like to come home with us? You'd be free to come and go as you please, but if you like, you can always call our home your home too."

"Are you okay with that?" Steven asked, sounding surprised as Nuru gave a happy little trill. Nuru was apparently pleased with the idea of going home with them.

"Of course." Paulina rolled her eyes. "She seems like a sweet bird, after all."

Steven sighed happily. "You make me love you more and more every day." He leaned over, kissing her on the cheek as Paulina blushed.


	12. Dinner Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny shares a surprise announcement for Dash over dinner.

"So are you both excited about trying out for the soccer team when school starts?" Danny asked as he stabbed his fork through some lettuce and carrots left in his salad.

"I'm going to score lots of goals!" Lex announced proudly, puffing out his chest, and his father had no doubts that his son would do just that.

"What about you?" Dash looked toward his own son, who was pushing around some of the grapes the remained on his plate.

Xander shrugged his shoulder, keeping his head bowed so that his raven bangs spilled down over his eyes. "I don't like being pushed around."

Danny winced, recalling all the practices where the bigger kids would knock Xander to the ground. It was the part of watching their practices that he really hated, but sometimes there were just experiences children had to go through as a part of growing up, like skinning a knee when they fell. As much as he wanted to protect his son and Xander, Danny knew it was important not to smother them too much.

"You won't disappoint me if you don't want to keep playing," Dash said, leaning over the table to try to catch his son's eyes.

"I don't want to quit," Xander said as he lifted his head. "I like playing with Lex. But," he frowned, putting down his fork, "maybe I could try being goalie." He gave his father a hopeful look.

"That's sounds like a good idea." Danny grinned encouraging at the young boy. "Whenever you and Lex are practicing passing the ball, you always manage to get right there in front of the ball, even on the ones that go astray."

"Yeah!" Lex said, perking up after thinking that he wouldn't be able to play soccer with his friend anymore. "We can start practicing for that. We have that goal thing we can set up, and you can try to stop me when I try to score." He grinned brightly at his own suggestion, and Xander looked encouraged by it.

Danny darted his gaze toward Dash, rolling a thought around in his mind. He meant to bring it up earlier but kept putting it off throughout the meal. "There was actually something I wanted to say." He gave up on the rest of his salad, which consisted mostly of leftover shreds of lettuce.

"Oh!" Lex bounced in his seat. "Can I tell them? Can I? Please!" He clasped his hands together and pouted at his father.

Danny smiled with a small chuckle. "Okay. You can tell them."

"We," Lex said with some dramatics as he slapped his hands down on the table, "are moving in."

Dash blinked as he tossed a glance across the table to Danny. The sudden announcement seemed to confuse him. "Yes," he agreed despite his bafflement, "and we're very excited about it."

Danny rubbed at the back of his neck as he leaned on the table. "Uh, well, what he meant was that we," he glanced toward his son, "agreed that we should move in here. With you." He turned his gaze hesitantly to the doctor at the other end of the table.

Dash blinked in stunned silence. "But we did-" He balled his hand and gave it three shakes. "And you said - Are you sure?"

"If we're done eating, can we go practice in the backyard?" Xander asked, and both the boys gave their fathers pleading looks. When the two of them really wanted something, they could make it impossible to say no when they brought out their secret weapon: the puppy dog eyes and lower lip quivering pout.

"Yeah, yeah," Dash said, with a dismissive wave, though Danny suspected the man was simply happy for the excuse to have the children leave the room so that they could talk.

"I expect you to have your math and writing assignments finished before bedtime though," Danny called as both boys jumped up from the table and hurried to the backdoor. He almost laughed when he heard them groan. After the door banged shut, Danny shifted his gaze back to Dash.

"Were you really serious just now?" Dash picked up his and Xander's plates as he stood to carry them over to the sink.

Danny followed suit, grabbing his and Lex's plates. "Yeah," he said as he joined Dash at the sink. "I thought about it for a while, and I talked with Lex about it, and well, it's not like we've really been in that house a very long time. And you and Xander probably have a _ton_ of memories in this house. And, I mean, it's not like a lot of the furniture we have is stuff that _needs_ to stay. My bed was brand new. But like, Lex's stuff would obviously stay. Rebuilding the lab will be annoying, but it's not like it can't be done. The Portal will be the most annoying. I have to check over everything about five times before I even attempt to reopen it. I wouldn't want another accident to happen." He paused in scrubbing clean one of the plates to turn and look at Dash. "Uh, if you allow me to use the basement for a lab, of course."

Dash rolled his eyes. "I might have to move some things, but yeah, I'm pretty sure the basement can be all yours." Then he turned to Danny, wrapping an arm around the man's waist as the soapy water on his arm dampened Danny's shirt. He pulled Danny closer and kissed him on the forehead. Now that their sons knew the truth about their relationship, they no longer had to worry about their sons catching them in moments like this. "I know this is just a house," Dash mumbled as he trailed kissed down Danny's nose, "but I'm really happy you decided to move in here instead."

Danny smiled as their lips brushed together. "I'm glad too."


	13. Family Gathering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finally moving into Dash's house, they had a gathering of friends and family to celebrate the move.

They decided to hold off throwing a little gathering of their closest friends and family to celebrate their moving in together until Danny had the Portal rebuilt in the basement. While Dash was at work and the boys were at school, Danny spent the days leading up to the party cleaning up the house, hiding the still unpacked boxes. He had too many things he still wasn't sure what he would do with since they wouldn't all fit in Dash's house.

Danny peeked into the front room where Kwan sat in the middle of the couch. He smiled when he saw Lex and Xander leaning on the man as they read along silently to the story Kwan read aloud from the book. In Kwan's lap, Hunter sat, grabbing at the book while that ghost child's mouth moved along like Hunter was trying to sound out the words on the page. The image was too adorable for words, and Danny regretted that he didn't have his phone on him right then to capture the moment.

"One of these days," Dan said, leaning against the doorframe near Danny, "he's going to have a child of his own that he's reading stories to."

Danny frowned as he glanced at Dan. "I do hope you're not planning to surprise him with an unexpected bundle of joy." His mouth pursed tightly. "I told you not to do anything without talking to him first."

Dan turned his head to give the half ghost an offended look. "When are you going to trust me? For your information, we _have_ talked about it."

"You've given me plenty of reasons to remain wary of you," Danny reminded. "Besides you're known for acting irrationally and a bit like a jerk."

"Then you should also know, since I was once you, that I wouldn't do anything to hurt him." The seriousness in Dan's expression made it impossible to think he might be lying. "I care too much about him."

"Glad to hear that," Valerie said, suddenly popping up next to Danny. "Because you hurt Kwan and you can bet that Danny and I will kick your butt for it. And we know how much you hate being in the Thermos." She smiled innocently, but even Danny shivered at the look in her eyes.

"You made it!" Danny grinned as he hugged her. "Where's Elle?"

"She had one last class to teach before she could leave to come over," Valerie explained. "But she should be here in a little while." She stared at him for a moment in disbelief. "I never would have pictured you and Dash hooking up back in high school."

A touch of color rose to Danny's cheeks as he laughed. "Yeah, it's pretty unbelievable. But," he shrugged somewhat, "somehow it just worked."

"But speaking of him," Valerie glanced around the front room, "where is that big blond blockhead?"

The only ones in the front room other than Kwan and the children were Desiree, Ember, and Kitty sitting with Paulina while they discussed wedding plans. A beautiful green feathered bird sat upon Paulina's shoulder, which had surprised Danny when she turned up with Steven since the bird was a ghost. But it all made sense after the couple told the story about their trip and the hike up to a cliff overlooking the island where Steven proposed to Paulina. Jazz and Tucker, unfortunately, were unable to make it because of work, which was disappointing, but Danny knew this little get together wasn't worth calling in sick to skip out on work.

"He's out back with the guys," Danny explained. "Barbequing some burgers and hot dogs. Both regular and ecto. I think Vlad's still in the kitchen fixing some salad and sides to go with them."

Valerie nodded. "I offered to help Vlad, but he shooed me away like I was an annoying little child trying to stick my fingers into everything."

Dan snorted. "Vlad's always been like that when it comes to cooking. You should try letting him teach you to cook. He can be an obnoxious control freak, always trying to do it for you instead letting you figure it out on your own."

"Yeah, but you learned to make a mean lasagna in the end," Danny said, and he and Valerie laughed when Dan puffed out his chest proudly.

"It is a pretty good lasagna, isn't it?"

Danny rolled his eyes at Dan. Then he turned his head when he heard a shout from outside. "Ah, looks like lunch is ready."

"Food!" Xander cried happily as he bounced off the couch. Lex was half a step behind him as the two boys raced past the adults and down the hall toward the backyard.

Valerie smiled as she watched the pair. "It's like they've been brothers all their lives. Makes me think back to how Dash and Kwan were when they were kids."

"What about us?" Kwan asked as he walked over to them, balancing toddler Hunter on his hip.

"Oh, just reminiscing about when you and Dash used to run around in the summer in only your undies under the spray of the sprinkler." Valerie grinned as Kwan's face turned an interesting shade of red.

Dan lifted an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Why haven't I heard any of those stories?"

"Because they're embarrassing." Kwan swept past him on his way toward the backyard, and Dan eagerly followed after him, asking more about his childhood.

"Sometimes, I still can't believe those two are together." Valerie shook her head with a laugh. "After all that trouble Dan caused, I wasn't entirely sure that he was capable of loving someone."

"He really is full of surprises," Danny agreed, but he was happy seeing that Dan really cared for Kwan and was treating him well. "Lunch is ready if you want to join us," he told Paulina and the ghosts.

"Coming!" Paulina said as she marked off one last thing in the multitude of magazines they had spread out over their workspace. Danny couldn't imagine all the work that she had to do for planning the wedding, but Paulina seemed to enjoy that kind of work as much as she enjoyed sketching out new designs for clothes.

"So how is everything back in Amity Park?" Danny asked Valerie as they walked through the house to the backyard. "I hope there aren't too many ghosts stirring up trouble."

Valerie slapped him on the back, maybe a little harder than necessary. "You worry too much. Things have been relatively quiet since you moved away. Just the usual trouble makers here and there, but nothing Elle and I can't handle."

With a nod, Danny smiled because that was good to hear. He hated the thought that he might have left Valerie and Elle to deal with a mess of attacks by unruly ghosts. They chatted about things going on in their lives as they joined the rest for lunch outside. Paulina, Desiree, Ember, and Kitty followed shortly after them, still talking about wedding plans. It was a nice afternoon with the sun shining and hardly a cloud in the sky, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Except for his parents, sister, and best friend slash brother-in-law, it felt like a giant family gathering, and Danny could only smile as he glanced around the table they had set up outside and feel content surrounded by almost all the important people in his life.


	14. Sealed Lips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kwan has an unexpected visitor when he is about to get ready to leave school for the day.

Kwan reviewed some of the assignments that his class had turned in at the end of the day. Some of the papers had a lot of red marks on them as he crossed off incorrect answers or corrected their spelling errors. They were still young, a mix of seven and eight year olds, so it didn't surprise him that they didn't know how to spell a lot of words, especially bigger words. It did give him a big headache trying to read through some of their answers though, and he was often rubbing at his poor head.

"Quite the set up you have here."

Kwan lifted his head as the man strolled into the room with that air of confidence about him as if he owned the world. He set down his red pen as he stood then walked over to greet the man. "Masters, isn't it?"

The man nodded, his silver hair tied back in a neat ponytail. "And you have good memory. You can call me Vlad. You're a friend of Daniel, after all. And as I've learned, you're dating Dan." His eyebrows lifted in surprise.

"Ah, yeah." Kwan tugged at his earlobe, his cheeks warming slightly. "That's a long story."

"I imagine so. You don't have to explain anything to me. As long as he's behaving himself." Vlad looked about the classroom, almost like he couldn't believe he was standing in the room for second graders. "That's a pretty impressive shield you have around this place."

"Oh, uh, yeah, I just got that up and running about three weeks ago." Kwan had to be sneaky about setting up the ghost shield around the school since he couldn't exactly approach the principal about it. Ghosts weren't as big a problem here as they were in Amity Park, and he certainly wasn't going reveal the fact that Danny and his son were half ghosts to the school. "After hearing about the kind of the stuff that Danny had to go through when he first got his ghost powers, I figured it would be nice for Lex to be safe at school. I know Danny wants his son to be able to focus on his education and not have the same struggle that he went through with having to sneak away from class to fight ghosts."

"I'm sure Daniel appreciates that. But he never told me that you were so good with inventing things."

"Just playing around with things most of the time." Kwan shrugged, feeling awkward about the conversation. He never expected his hobby of messing around with technology to actually lead anywhere. "According to Dan, in his future, I played a big part in putting up a shield around Amity Park to protect it from his wrath. I don't know how much I believe that. I struggled a lot to get this shield right just to put it up around the school." Even harder was making the energy of the shield invisible so that no one even knew that it was there.

"How modest of you." Vlad's mouth curled into a half smirk. "Well, I suppose I should get to the point of why I'm here. You see," he continued smoothly, ignoring the confusion furrowing Kwan's brow, "Dan approached me recently about a little project he wanted my help with, and I must say it surprised me when he mentioned it." He folded his arms behind his back. "But before I agree to help, I thought I should approach you about it first. I know that Dan doesn't always tell the people involved when he has something in mind. After all, it would be just like me to go behind someone's back with a scheme."

"Wait." Kwan held up his hand. "Maybe you should just come out and say it directly. What exactly did Dan talk to you about?" His brain hurt trying to follow along with the man's words. "This isn't about tormenting Eddie for what he did in the past, is it?" Frowning, he pointed a finger at Vlad. "Because Dan promised after he terrified the man with some little 'ghostly' effects that he wouldn't bother the man again. And he already succeeded in scary the shit out of Eddie. I'm pretty sure he got locked up when he started screaming about his apartment being haunted." His mouth hung open for a moment as something Vlad said caught up to him. "What did you mean it would be just like you?"

"I'm afraid I have no idea to what you are referring with this Eddie person." Vlad hardly showed a hint of emotion when he spoke, making it difficult for Kwan to tell if Dan had mentioned what Eddie tried to do to him back in college. "Ah, I guess he didn't mention my involvement in his creation then."

"Well," Kwan frowned, "he told me about how Danny went to live you after the Nasty Burger blew up, and you created these gloves that allowed you to rip the ghost out of Danny, which was how he became Dan."

Vlad nodded, mild surprise ghosting through his dark blue eyes. "I had a little more to do with it than just that. You see, after I ripped out Danny's ghost, he turned on me and ripped out my own ghost then merged mine into his. I think the combination of our anguish over what happened drove his ghost to point of snapping, resulting in the Dan that rampaged his timeline and leaving a path of destruction behind him."

Kwan was silent for a while, absorbing the new information. It did seem to fill in some of the gaps in the story that Dan told him. "I hadn't realized you were a half ghost too. Just how many of you are there?"

"Just the four of us." Vlad shrugged as if that wasn't a big deal. "There were others, clones I created, but only Dani - I'm sorry. Elle. She goes by Elle now. I always forget and start calling her Danielle again. She was the only one of my clones that survived."

Kwan sat down at his desk. It was all a lot to take in, and he felt like time had rewound and he was hearing Dan's story about he came into exist for the first time again. He needed a moment to really digest it all before he could continue with the conversation. "Uh," he looked up at the man, "so what exactly did Dan talk to you about?"

"Well, like I said, I created clones in the past," Vlad explained, walking over to lean against the corner of the desk. "I used Daniel's DNA to create them. Dan came to me and asked if it were possible for me to use my clone formula to create a child for the two of you. I confess the idea caught me interest. But then I wondered if Dan had actually presented this idea to you. I wouldn't want to go through with this only to learn that you never wanted a child in the first place."

Kwan's eyes grew wide, and his jaw slowly dropped. He had never even considered that possibility, despite knowing that Elle was a clone of Danny. It never entered his mind that they could somehow take the DNA from both of them and use it to make a clone of sorts as their child.

"He did bring it up with me," Kwan finally answered. "I mean, we talked about having a child, but I didn't know how it would ever be possible. We're, you know," he shrugged, "both guys, so naturally I assumed we would never be able to have a child together. But if you could actually make this clone idea work, I-" He shook his head, trying to find the words. "I would love that child with all my heart."

"I'm glad that's your answer." Vlad smiled fondly, but there was sadness in his gaze. "I failed with Elle. She was, in fact, my perfect clone. But I was obsessed with making an exact replica of Daniel at the time that I was too blind to realize that fact. I could have been a father to her and saved us both a lot of pain, but instead, I cast her aside like - like a mistake." He frowned, lowering his gaze with regret and pain. Then he lifted his gaze to Kwan. "I decided if I agreed to this, I didn't want the child to be given to parents that wouldn't love him or her."

"We'll love it," Kwan promised.

"Good." Vlad nodded. "Though I should warn you that since Dan is a ghost, your child will have ghost powers too."

Kwan thought about the struggles Danny had in high school and the struggles his son had right now with controlling his powers. "I realize that will make things difficult. I especially don't know anything about ghost powers, but Dan does. We'll make it work no matter what."

"Though if you do have problems, I'm sure Danny would be happy to offer his help. Elle and I would be willing to help too, though I must say, I'm a rather busy man."

Kwan nodded, though he certainly didn't want to impose too much on the wealthy businessman. He was already asking a lot from the man by having him produce a child for him and Dan.

"Um, Mr. Long."

Kwan snapped his wide eyed gaze to the doorway where Denise stood, her red hair tied back in a braid as she hugged a thick book to her chest. She would stumble a lot over words when she was picked to read aloud to class, but over her second grade year, Kwan had noticed she had a great love for books. It was something that tied her, Xander, and Lex together as they all enjoyed reading books together. But right now, Kwan feared how much of their conversation the young girl had heard. He shot a quick glance to Vlad, who looked paler than usual as he eyed the girl warily.

"What is it, Denise?" Kwan asked with his throat feeling dry as he turned in his chair to face her more fully.

Denise walked over to him, but she stepped away from Vlad when she reached them. "Um, I wanted to get another book from the library, but since it's after school, the library is locked." Her eyes darted toward Vlad, and the color ran slightly away from her face.

"I have a few books over on the shelf, if you want to take one of those," Kwan suggested.

Denise nodded to him then turned her gaze onto Vlad, a hint of fear in her eyes. "Are you really a ghost?"

Kwan winced at the question. He had thought the school was mostly empty by now since it was so late after school ended. Before Vlad arrived, Kwan was about to start packing up after he finished grading that last paper to get ready to leave. Xander and Lex were at soccer practice right now, which would be ending in a few minutes. Then he would drive the three friends back to the house that Dash and Danny now shared until Denise's mother came to pick her up.

Vlad crouched down to put himself at the same level as Denise. "It's a secret," he whispered, holding a finger to his lips. "Can you keep a secret?"

Denise nodded enthusiastically, and Kwan guessed that was one thing about children: they liked secrets. Then she tilted her head, her brow wrinkling. "You don't look scary. Aren't ghosts supposed to look scary?" She reached out tentatively and poked him in the arm. "And you're solid!" She gasped in amazement. "Aren't ghosts supposed to be all not solid? Does that mean you died? Do you have unfinished business? Does it involve Mr. Long? Is it rude to ask a ghost how they died?"

"Sorry," Kwan said with a laugh. "Denise has always been pretty inquisitive about stuff."

"That's okay." Vlad stared at Denise. "It's good to be inquisitive. You seem like a very bright young lady." He smiled as Denise bowed her head with a bright flush of color on her cheeks. "There are some ghosts that can be very scary, but a lot of them just want to live their afterlives peacefully. Some like to play pranks on the living though. Ghosts have the ability to turn solid if they like, but it can be tiring so they don't always remain solid. It's not considered polite to ask a ghost how they died, and not all of them actually remember how they died." He glanced to Kwan. "That question is a little complicated to answer. You see, I didn't _really_ die. Not all the way. And that's why it's important that you don't tell anyone. There are people that would try to capture me and do bad things to me if they learned what I really was."

Denise nodded as she listened to everything the man told her. "My lips are sealed. I promise."

"That's a good girl." Vlad patted her on the head, and Kwan was impressed by how well the man handled someone discovering his secret. "Now. What book are you reading?"

Denise glanced down, pulling the book from her chest to look at the title. " _Edgar in the Labyrinth_." She turned the book around to show Vlad the cover, which featured a maze made of stone with a young boy standing at the start and a castle in the distance at the end of the maze. "I wanted to get the next book, but the library is closed."

"Can you tell me about the book?" Vlad asked, and Denise happily launched into an explanation of the book, number three in the series.

Kwan smiled to himself as he packed up his things. After that interaction, he could see Vlad raising a child and thought it was a shame that he missed the opportunity with Elle. Unfortunately, sometimes life dealt a bad hand. Not everyone got a happy ending. His mouth pressed into a line as he watched Vlad and Denise talk. Maybe that thinking was wrong. Maybe Vlad _did_ get a happy ending, even if it didn't exactly turn out the way he imagined. Vlad seemed content with his life. Maybe he didn't have the love of his life and the child he always wanted, but he seemed happy. At least, Kwan thought so.


	15. A Red Glow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kwan drives everyone over to Dash and Danny's house after soccer practice ends.

"We're heading back to Danny's place, if you want to ride with us," Kwan offered after they picked up Xander and Lex from soccer practice and were heading to his car. He knew, of course, that Vlad could simply fly back to the house on his own, but he thought he should offer to give the man a ride. It was polite, and Vlad was offering to do him a huge favor by using his clone technology to create a child for Dan and him. He knew there was no great favor that he could offer the wealthy business man in return.

Vlad nodded as they reached Kwan's car and opened the back door once it was unlocked. The children eagerly climbed inside and buckled up. Denise sat in the middle, holding her book open so that Xander and Lex could read with her. Kwan didn't miss that soft, fond smile that crossed the man's face as he watched the three children before closing the door a moment later.

"I think I will join you," Vlad announced as he joined them in the car.

Kwan pulled out of the parking lot, and Vlad turned his attention to the children, asking how Lex and Xander were enjoying soccer.

"Coach is letting me play goalie!" Xander answered proudly, and when he glanced in the rearview mirror, Kwan caught the boy beaming happily. Xander really liked playing soccer with Lex, but being pushed around by some of the other children on the team had always took away some of that joy, so Kwan was happy to see that the coach agreed to let Xander try being the goalie.

"Oh?" Vlad raised his eyebrows, sounding very interested in what the boys were saying. "Did you manage to stop many goals?"

"He was amazing!" Lex answered, and Xander hunched down with a bright blush upon his cheeks. "Even the coach was impressed. A few goals slipped past him, but he managed to stop most of them."

Vlad nodded. "Your fathers will be very proud of you." The comment only made Xander's blushing worsen.

Denise's head popped up, abandoning her book for the moment as she brought herself back to reality. "So how many people know about you?" she asked with a curious tilt of her head and stared at Vlad.

Kwan swallowed thickly, feeling like someone had shoved cotton balls down his throat. He hoped Denise would be better about bring up the topic in the future, though he was glad she hadn't outright said that she meant about him being half ghost. He could see the confusion on the boys' faces in the mirror.

"Just a handful of people I trust most," Vlad answered, offering her a kind smile, though Kwan suspected he had his worries about Denise not being about to keep the secret. "Remember." He lifted a finger to lips. "It's important to keep it secret."

"What?" Lex piped up, glancing between Vlad and Denise. "What secret? What are you talking about? You can't just blather about a secret and not tell us!"

Vlad chuckled, amusement lighting in his blue eyes. "But you already know the secret, Lex." He turned around to the boy, and his eyes flashed red briefly. Lex opened his mouth, releasing a drawn out, "Ooooooh," of understanding. Xander merely blinked like he was no longer impressed by seeing half ghosts flash their eyes like that anymore. But Denise gave a little gasp of surprise when she saw it.

"Your eyes glow red!" Denise said in amazement. Then she blinked and glanced between her two friends. "Wait. Both of you already knew?"

"Of course!" Lex puffed out his chest. "He's a good friend of my dad, and my grandparents. He's like that creepy uncle that's not actually related by blood."

"Creepy uncle?" Vlad frowned, and Kwan tried not to laugh at his response. "Sounds like someone wants socks for Christmas and their birthday for the next ten years."

Lex gaped at him in disbelief. "What? No! You can't do that!" The idea of getting socks as presents for the next ten years horrified the young boy, which made it almost impossible for Kwan not to start laughing.

But a thought started circling in his head as he remembered his earlier conversation with Vlad in the classroom. In a different future, it was the combination of Danny and Vlad's ghost halves that created Dan. In a way, they were sort of like Dan's parents, and thinking about that had his brain swimming. But then, did that make any child that he and Dan had together both Danny and Vlad's grandchild? Kwan wasn't sure whether he should laugh at how messed up that family tree sounded or cry because of just how messed up it sounded. Then again, having two biological fathers would mess up a family tree anyway.

When they arrived at Dash and Danny's house, the children rushed out of the car first, racing up to the front door. Danny opened it before Vlad and Kwan could catch up, greeting the three children with a big smile. But when he looked up and saw who was walking up to the house with Kwan, he stared in surprise.

"I hope this isn't something I should worry about," Danny said once they were all inside the house. "Vlad, you're not trying to manipulate him into doing something bad, are you?" He gave the older half ghost a severe frown as he folded his arms.

Kwan could hear the children in the front room, getting ready to pull out toys to play. "Homework first," he called to them, and all three of them groaned in disappointment. "No, he's not up to anything bad. We were just discussing a, uh, possible future addition to my and Dan's life." He paused to think about it for a moment. "I'm going to have to get a new place. I don't think a one bedroom apartment would be big enough for a child."

Danny blinked then grinned widely as he slapped Kwan on the back. "That's awesome! Well, will be awesome when you do finally have that child." He glanced over at Vlad with an appraising look. "I'm glad you're helping with this."

Vlad nodded then glanced hesitantly toward the front room where the children were. "I should fill you in on a little detail though." He turned back to Danny with a deep frown. "I may have let slip that I'm half ghost to your son's little friend."

"What?" Danny snapped, managing to keep his voice hushed as he glared furiously at the older man. "How could you let it slip?" He looked dangerously close to flashing his eyes green and blasting Vlad in the face.

"In his defense, we were alone in the room," Kwan said, hoping to defuse the situation before it turned into a fight. "Denise appeared out of nowhere by surprise. It wasn't like he intentionally spilled the beans."

"And," Vlad added quickly before Danny could yell at him, "she only knows that _I'm_ a half ghost. I didn't tell her about you and Lex."

Kwan frowned, trying to think back over their conversation. Depending on when exactly Denise started overhearing their little chat, she might have heard something about Danny and Lex, but she hadn't said anything about it if she did. It seemed like she only knew about Vlad since she hadn't started asking Lex about being a half ghost too.

Danny took a deep breath like he was getting ready to start an angry lecture. Then he released it slowly as if his whole body was deflating. "I suppose I always knew eventually Denise would learn the truth. She's a bright girl. She'd probably start to notice something was strange about us at some point. I had just hoped it would be when they were a little older."

"I think you'll be safe," Vlad assured him. "Children seem to like being part of a secret. I'm sure she'll keep quiet about it."

"Just be more careful next time. I don't need the whole school finding out about us. Now." Danny clapped his hands. "Are you two hungry?"

"Are you delaying working on your next novel?" Kwan pinned him with a stern look, like he would give a child that was playing around instead of doing his or her work.

"Maybe." Danny looked away innocently.

"I think Kwan and I can manage to make some snacks," Vlad said with a bit of mischievousness in his smirk. "Giving you plenty of time to start on that novel."

Danny groaned as they walked into the front room where the children were sitting around the coffee table with their work books out. He dropped onto the couch and pulled his laptop over to him while Kwan and Vlad walked toward the kitchen to start fixing up a light afterschool snack for them all.


	16. Jungle Gym Bullies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ember's writing time is interrupted when her child comes to her with a problem.

Ember tapped her pen against the notepad, waiting for a song idea to hit her. She was working on some new songs for an album, but so far, her writing wasn't going anywhere. She had scribbled down a bunch of lyric ideas and crossed out most of them. Her frustration was reaching the level of wanting to set the notepad on fire. Maybe a bit of destruction would make her feel better. Or she could always go harass the dipstick. Danny was always fun to tease. A smirk almost threatened to curl across her face at that thought.

But her thinking was disrupted when she felt something press against her leg. Ember dropped the pen then twisted around in her chair. Her gaze fell upon her child, and she couldn't help smiling. For a long time, she and Skulker hit a fairly rough patch in their relationship. Sometimes during that period, she couldn't even remember why she liked the big lug while they seemed to constantly fight, almost rivaling Kitty and Johnny and their many spats. Danny was the one that eventually helped them work through their problems, reluctantly taking on the role of ghost couple counselor. They still fought from time to time, because, well, the fighting kept things interesting when they were looking at an eternity together.

Then they had little Hunter, and Ember didn't think she could be happier. She loved her child, even if there were times when she enjoyed a night to relax. Picking up her child, she placed Hunter in her lap, gazing down at her child's bright green and blue streaked hair.

"I thought you were spending time with Daddy." Ember glanced up toward the door of her studio when Skulker trudged in, thankfully without the pelt of some poor ghost thrown over his shoulder. Her eyes narrowed, and she scowled at him out of habit.

"Hunter decided to come back," Skulker explained, shrugging like he didn't care, but the concern in his eyes said otherwise. "Wouldn't say why."

Ember frowned at that comment and dropped her gaze back to her child. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Hunter shrugged but wouldn't look at her. "Just didn't want to play with the other kids." Hunter tugged at the hem of the black shirt, twisting it between chubby fingers.

There was a playground in the Ghost Zone where they usually took Hunter to meet with some of the other ghost children. It was actually the lair of this ghost that died when he was ninety-six, but he had spent his life working with and taking care of children, almost being a bit of a child at heart himself. When he died, his ghost lingered, still wanting to care for children, and his lair reflected that desire, creating itself like a giant park with dozens of different fun things for children to play with: swings, seesaws, jungle gyms, and pretty much anything else a child could want. It was a very popular place for ghost parents to take their children.

"Why not?" Ember ran her fingers through the dual streaked hair, brushing back bangs, as Skulker walked over then leaned against her desk. He folded his arms, and his eyes narrowed in that way that said he was ready to go out and pound on someone.

Hunter frowned, pushing out the lower lip. "Some of the older kids were teasing me." Green eyes shifted around the room before Hunter looked up at Ember and Skulker. "They kept wanting to know why you never call me a boy or a girl. They think it's weird. They were laughing at me and saying I was stupid because I didn't know. I don't like them."

"I'm going to hurt them," Skulker announced, growling out his anger as he pushed away from the desk.

Ember caught his arm before Skulker could storm out of the studio. "You can't go around picking fights with children." Her eyes narrowed coldly, but she felt anger toward those children for making Hunter feel bad.

Skulker's metal mouth pursed, not pleased with being held back or told he couldn't do something. "Then I'm getting Hunter a nice, state of the art compound bow. Let's see how those little punks like it when they have trick arrows being fired at them." He grinned viciously, no doubt imagining the ghost children at they ran for their afterlives screaming in terror.

Ember rolled her eyes, only because Skulker would have gotten the bow for Hunter regardless of bullies. Skulker was already teaching their child how to use various weapons while she was teaching Hunter how to play musical instruments. They weren't sure who Hunter would take after in ghostly abilities, so they were teaching their child both of their skill sets. They promised they wouldn't get angry if Hunter chose one over the other, though they were both hoping Hunter would choose them.

Ember frowned as she returned her attention to her child. "Hunter," she sighed to herself because they hadn't foreseen their decision causing their child to be the target of bullying, "we fought a lot about whether we wanted to have a son or a daughter." It was easy for the Box Ghost and the Lunch Lady when they had Box Lunch because both of them really wanted a daughter. "In the end, we decided we didn't want to force a gender role on you. We wanted to let you decide on your own as you grew up. You could be born a girl but grow up feeling like a boy. Or vice versa. You could even end up deciding that you don't identify with either gender. It happens to humans, being born feeling like you're in the wrong body or identifying as something outside of what's consider normal by society."

"The main point is," Skulker said, "we just want you to decide for yourself what you like and what you want to be. We'll still love you no matter what you decide. That's why we tried to keep to gender neutral toys. But if you want to play with those race cars, like Lex has, we can get some of those. If you want to play with baby dolls, that's fine too. We didn't want to be that type of parent that takes away a toy and tells their child they can't play with it because it's a boy toy or it's a girl toy. You should be allowed to choose what sort of toys you like without being made to feel bad about liking it."

Hunter shifted in Ember's lap, seeming to take in and think over what they said. "So," Hunter chewed on the lower lip, "so if I wanted you to call me a boy to keep the other kids from teasing me, you would do that?"

It almost broke her heart to hear that question, and not because she had hoped for a daughter. Ember hated that her child was being teased because of a decision they made on how they would raise Hunter. "If that's what you want us to call you," Ember said then hugged Hunter to her.

"But remember, kiddo," Skulker said as he ruffled the dual streaked hair, "if later you decide you identify more as a girl, you can tell us, and we'll start referring to you as that," which surprised Ember to hear since she expected him to be overjoyed about Hunter wanting to be called a boy. "And you can play with whatever toys you want, boy or girl. Whatever you like."

"Because we just want you to be happy. No matter who you decide to be." Ember gave her child a fierce hug. "Hm, I think Lex is probably home from school now. You like having Kwan read to you, don't you?"

Hunter nodded enthusiastically, tilting head up to grin at her. "Can I bring some toys?"

"Just one," Ember said, holding up one finger. "And no weapons from your father."

"Aw!" Hunter moaned in disappointment but hopped down from her lap. Then Hunter darted out of the room to go pick out a toy.

Ember stood, leaning up on the tips of toes to place a kiss upon Skulker's cheek. He stared at her, brow wrinkling as the gears in his brain worked to understand what just happened.

"What was that for?" Skulker asked when he gave up trying to understand his wife's random action.

Ember shrugged. "You said it would be okay if Hunter wanted to be a girl later. Even though I know how much you wanted a son. And you didn't go all crazy and celebrate that Hunter asked to be called a boy."

Skulker scratched at a metal cheek as he looked away. "Well, I _am_ really happy about that, but I don't like Hunter choosing because other children are being mean. I would have preferred Hunter choose without having that sort of influence."

Ember frowned as she nodded. She had forgotten about potential bullying when they planned to raise Hunter in a gender neutral environment. They could still make it work, keeping their home a safe gender neutral environment that gave their child the ability to choose whether to play with trucks and action figures or dress in a pretty pink princess dress and throw a tea party without threat of being picked on for liking whatever Hunter wanted to like. They could avoid labels in their home but call Hunter a boy outside of it.

"I thought we were going to see Lex," Hunter said, appearing in the doorway of the studio and hugging a teddy bear.

"We were just coming to see if you were ready, kiddo." Skulker lifted their child up and onto his shoulder before he walked out of the studio. Ember followed after them, relieved that Hunter at least seemed to bounce back fairly quickly after the bullying.


	17. Faded Jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes Dan likes to come help Elle with her classes and talk with Valerie.

"Oh! You got me!" Dan collapsed to the floor after the little seven year old boy slammed a fist into his side. He wasn't very strong, and the punch hardly hurt more than a light slap. But the boy laughed happily as Dan pretended that the blow had seriously hurt him.

A sharp whistle blew then Elle shouted, "Tyson, go wash up. Your mom is here." The young boy darted off toward the locker room to clean up and change into some normal clothes.

"You know," Valerie said, and Dan tilted his head back to stare at her as she leaned on the ropes surrounding the boxing ring, "when I heard that you and Kwan were trying to make a baby, I thought it was a pretty insane idea."

Dan frowned as he climbed to his feet. "I'll have you know that Kwan will make an amazing father." Walking over to the ropes, he leaned on them as he leveled a glare at the woman.

"Oh, I have no doubts about Kwan." Valerie grinned, hardly intimidated by him, which was only more than a little irritating to the ghost. "Don't forget that I was friends with Kwan, even dated him a few times. He always struck me as being the type that would be a great father. Kind of like Danny." The smirk fled from her face, that serious expression she got when she was fighting ghosts taking over as she leaned in close to him. "You, on the other hand. You've given us plenty of reasons to be wary of you, and I promise you a world of pain if you do anything to hurt Kwan."

"Uh oh," Elle said as she appeared at Valerie's side after seeing Tyson off, "I hope you two aren't about to tear up the place. _My_ place. Because anything you destroy, you're going to pay for."

"No, we're just having a little chat," Valerie assured her, relaxing the tension in her shoulders. She gave her girlfriend a peck on the cheek before her attention returned to Dan. "What I was trying to get at, was that after we first defeated you and you were just starting to change, I would have thought that you having a child of your own was the worst possible idea. But then I saw how you are with Lex, and the students here, and I realized that you've grown a lot since back then. I don't think you'll win any father of the year awards, but you'll definitely be a better father than I would have originally thought."

Dan frowned, his brow knitting. "What if it was an _evil_ father of the year award?"

Elle laughed. "I'm pretty sure that's not a thing. But sure, you'd be the best evil father. You'd win every year."

"Darn right I would!" Dan puffed out his chest proudly as the two women laughed. "What about the two of you?" He climbed out of the ring. "If Vlad succeeds, the two of you could have a child of your own."

"I don't know," Valerie said, casting a glance toward Elle, who shrugged before heading off to shut stuff off before they left the boxing studio. "We never really talked about having a child. I think if we were going to have one, I would want to adopt. Not that there's anything wrong with wanting a child that's your own flesh and blood. That's how most people think. But there are a lot of children in the world that don't have a loving home, so I think adopting would be a good choice."

"Plus then we wouldn't have to worry about pesky ghost powers," Elle added with an impish grin after she shut off the lights and joined them at the exit of the boxing studio. "Anyway, we have enough kids to look after with the boxing studio and the orphanage. It's nice after a long day to go home and just be by ourselves." After she locked up, she grabbed hold of Valerie's arm. "Curling up on the couch with popcorn and watching a movie." She wore a sneaky smirk. "Maybe doing other things."

"Sounds like a good plan to me." Valerie grinned then leaned over to kiss Elle.

Dan rolled his eyes at the little display of affection, and before he met Kwan, he might have felt a twinge of jealousy. How could he not? They were in love and in a solid stable relationship, despite the usual spat here and there. No couple got along perfectly all the time, after all. But now he was in a relationship himself, and seeing other people kissing no longer brought out that jealousy in him. He realized just how much more relaxed he felt around them, now that he wasn't quietly being eaten up on the inside because of the loneliness that he hadn't realized was there.

"Whoa, babes!"

Dan snapped his head around as Valerie and Elle broke apart to stare at the man who made the exclamation. He wrinkled his nose at the man, dressed in a suit that fit much too loosely on him with the top buttons of his shirt undone and his tie dangling around his neck. His blond hair was a tangled mess, and Dan wouldn't be surprised if he had been drinking, despite that it was barely nine o'clock at night.

"What do you say you ditch the mullet freak and I show you babes a good time?" He grinned, definitely drunk, grabbing his crotch like they weren't smart enough to figure out what he meant by a "good time." Dan scowled at him for the insult and figured he could easily snap the man like a twig, considering that the man actually looked like a twig.

Valerie and Elle exchanged looks then rolled their eyes at the man's gross attempt to hit on them. "No thanks," Elle said, hooking her arm around Valerie's and pulling her past the man. "You're tiny dick wouldn't be able to satisfy us."

Dan tried not to laugh out loud, but it was hard when he glanced over and saw the shocked look on the man's face. That comment must have been a blown to his drunken ego. Before Dan could move to follow after the two women, the man recovered and grabbed at Elle's arm.

"Hey!" he shouted, fury filling his voice. But that was about as far as he got before Elle slammed her elbow back into his gut to get him to release her arm. Valerie then punched him in the face, knocking him flat on his back.

Dan smirked as he stood over the groaning man, who couldn't seem to figure out if he should hold his throbbing nose or his aching side. "You really shouldn't mess with women." It was really tempting to do something worse to the man, but Dan thought better of it. After all, Kwan wouldn't like him performing any acts of unnecessary violence.

The situation, though, brought up a bad taste in his mouth, reminding him of Kwan's story about the man that tried to rape him in college. His jaw clenched tightly in anger. Terrifying Eddie only brought a small sense of satisfaction to him. He stalked the man out after using a little knowhow from Vlad's half on tracking someone down and waited for the perfect opportunity to strike. It was child's play, really, to make Eddie believe his apartment was haunted. Dan _was_ a ghost, after all. If he didn't know how to scare someone, he would be a pathetic laughing stock. But just creating a spooky haunted apartment didn't feel like enough revenge on the man. No, Eddie deserved more than a little fright of witnessing things moving on their own and hearing creepy noises in the middle of the night. He waited until Eddie had a lady friend over at his apartment then worked a little ghostly magic, appearing when the man tried to make a move on the woman, who clearly had suffered the same trick of drinking something that was drugged as Kwan did. That fact only incited Dan's rage, and he made himself visible in a glorious explosion of fire that practically scared the life of Eddie who fled from the apartment screaming. A smirk tried to slip onto Dan's face as he recalled that reaction. Once Eddie was gone, Dan checked the woman's purse for an ID then carried her away to her home where she would be safe from Eddie's disgusting ways.

"I don't know about you ladies, but I'm starving. I say we go grab some dinner. I'll pay," Dan offered.

"I say we grab some pizza," Elle suggested. "I've been thinking about getting pizza all day."

"I'm down for some pizza," Valerie agreed, and they headed off toward the nearest pizzeria.


	18. Unfair Advantage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dash has a small talk with Lex when using his powers lands him in trouble.

"Over here!" Lex shouted, waving his arms in the air.

Dash glanced the boy's way, and it still surprised him to see how big Lex had grown over the years. Now at ten, Lex was showing off a build that would make him a great football player. Dash could see him succeeding well as a quarterback, but Lex preferred soccer and Dash thought that was probably for the best. He smiled a little, knowing how happy it made his own son to be able to play on the same team as his best friend. Xander loved playing as the goalie, and his skills were improving with each practice and game.

A big girl kicked the ball over toward Lex, who stopped it with one foot then charged down the field. One of the other children playing with them moved to block him. Lex did some fancy footwork, trying to feint and get around the young boy that was a few inches shorter than he. Then the boy attempted to steal the ball from Lex but instead slipped right through him.

"Hey!" the boy complained as Lex laughed and continued dribbling the ball down the field, dodging past other players. "You're not allowed to use your powers!" The boy growled in frustration as his hands glowed blue as his icy blue eyes narrowed. Before he could fire off the ecto energy ball, though, ropes of green wrapped around him, pinning his arms to his side and snuffing out the energy. A whistle blew, loud and sharp, and when he tried to kick the ball toward the goal, Lex's foot met with empty air and he ended up on his back with a hard thud.

"Blue team gets the ball and a free kick at the goal," Danny announced, giving his son a very stern and disapproving stare. "Use of powers during the game isn't allowed. You're out for three minutes, Lex. Axel, you're out too. Just because someone else used their powers doesn't mean you have to break the rule too."

"Aw," Lex complained, kicking at the ground after he had climbed to his feet then walked to the sidelines.

Dash dropped his hand on the boy's head, ruffling the short dark reddish purple locks, and Lex swatted at his hand, not too pleased with his hair getting messed up. Folding his arms, Dash glared down at the young boy. "You know the rules," he said as Lex turned his green eyes away from him. "You wouldn't break any rules when you play a game in the human world, would you?"

"No," Lex grumbled, but he still wasn't happy about being kicked out of the game, even for a few minutes. He dug the toe of his white cleat into the ground of the floating island where they had set up a soccer field as he pouted, though he tried to look like he wasn't.

Lex wore a black V-neck shirt and white shorts, having learned that when he transformed in normal clothes, the colors sometimes reversed to look rather hideous. After one incident, Lex swore off ever wearing blue jeans again since they turned orange when he switched to his ghost form, which earned him a lot of embarrassment, and laughter from the others when he changed. When he glanced across the field, Dash had to smirk a bit at the referee outfit Danny wore while in his ghost form. Danny had gotten a lot better at altering his outfit as a ghost, and sometimes when he transformed, he simply remained in his normal clothing. Unless he sensed a ghost that needed to be dealt with, then he would immediately change into his Phantom costume. Lex hadn't settled on a costume yet, but Dash would overhear him and Xander talking about it at times and sketching out ideas that they thought would look cool on the young half ghost.

"But we're playing in the Ghost Zone. Why can't we use our powers?" Lex muttered

Dash frowned then sighed. "It's to make the game fair."

He cast a glance around the field where he other children had started playing again. Some of them were much younger than Lex. Little Hunter was mostly running around chasing the other children, trying to keep up with them. Ember and Skulker sat on the sidelines watching and cheering with shouts of "Good job!" and "Go get 'em!" even though their child hadn't even so much as touched the ball once throughout the entire game. But Hunter seemed to be having a good time regardless. Then Dash's gaze drifted back to Lex.

"Not all of the other ghost kids have developed their powers, and others don't have anything beyond the basics." Dash's blue gaze flicked toward one end of the field. "Xander doesn't even have any ghost powers. Would it be fair to him if everyone else is utilizing their powers and he's just a powerless human? He really enjoys playing soccer with you and the other kids, human and ghost. But how can he enjoy himself if someone turns the ball intangible? He wouldn't even be able to do anything to stop it."

Lex gazed down the field to the goal where Xander was standing with his alert blue eyes watching the ball as he waited for the players to come down the field and try to score a goal. His mouth slowly pulled into a frown. "I hadn't really thought about that. I guess it really wouldn't be fair to Xander."

Dash patted him on the back. "And that's why your dad decided on the whole no powers rule."

"Okay, okay! I get it. I won't use my powers anymore while playing soccer. Even if this _is_ the Ghost Zone." Lex scowled, but Dash knew that the boy would never want to do anything to make his best friend feel cut out of the group.

That was one of the things that Dash really appreciated about Lex. He always tried to make other people feel included, and he stood up toward bullying. Dash could still remember how Jeremy used to treat Xander before Lex turned up in their class. Now things were so much better for the whole class, though he knew it wasn't entirely because Lex had stood up to Jeremy that first day. Jeremy was able to change because his father finally divorced his wicked wife and won the custody battle, which gave Jeremy the chance to live in a much more loving and less toxic environment. Now Jeremy had become friends with his classmates, who were happy to forgive him for the past once he showed he could be more than a bully. But Lex had shown the other children in his class that they didn't have to stay silent when confronted by a bully, that it was okay to tell the bullies that their actions were wrong. Violence wasn't the answer, but Dash did believe that if someone attacked him, he had the right to defend himself. Defending others was something Dash could see passed from father to son. Lex had that strong sense of needing to protect people that his father had.

Danny blew his referee whistle again. "Three minutes are up. Lex, Axel, you're back in the game. But remember: no powers allowed."

Lex grinned with excitement. "We're gonna win this!"

Dash laughed, remembering having that same competitive attitude back in high school while he played football with Kwan as he watched Lex run back onto the field and rejoin his team.


	19. A Dream of Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan likes mornings when Kwan shuffles sleepily into the kitchen.

Dan frowned as he tapped a few keys on the laptop's keyboard, scanning over the information on the screen. He hadn't used a laptop, or even a normal computer, in years, and it felt strange to him to be working on one of them again. He had a few things opened, no games like Danny would probably assume if he saw his evil future at the moment. A hot mug of coffee sat beside him, and several newspaper sections laid out over most of the table in front of laptop.

Dan picked up the mug and sipped the steaming coffee as he debated stock options. He knew quite a bit about it, thanks to Vlad, but his knowledge was over a decade old. "Maybe I should discuss things with Vlad," he mumbled to the empty kitchen. He didn't want to shove money into a stock then discover he made the wrong decision when it tanked. Vlad would be much better informed about today's market.

His attention, however, was pulled from his work when he heard the shuffle of feet making their way into the kitchen. He turned his gaze toward the doorway as Kwan entered, holding a hand over his mouth as he yawned widely. A slow smirk spread onto his face, and he leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head. The dark blue eyes of his human disguise slid down Kwan's bare backside, appreciating the smooth bronze skin, until he reached the hem of the loose sweatpants the man wore to bed. The pants slipped somewhat, revealing a touch more of the man's body, but not enough to show off Kwan's butt.

"I could definitely get used to waking up to a view like this," Dan said and held back a laugh when Kwan jumped, nearly spilling the coffee as he poured a mug for himself.

Kwan set down the pot then leaned his hands on the counter as he bowed his head. After a moment, he sighed, rubbing his head. "Didn't we have a talk about popping up like that?" He grabbed the mug of coffee then walked over to join Dan at the table.

Dan grinned, taking a moment to appreciate the man's exposed chest before focusing his attention on Kwan's face as he drank his coffee. "I thought you said it was okay if I let myself in."

"Not when I haven't seen you in a month. Where were-"

Kwan's words stopped short when he finally lifted his aqua green eyes to stare at the ghost across the table from him. Since Kwan learned the truth about his existence, Dan hadn't seen much reason to keep up the human disguise when they were alone in his apartment. He bit back a smirk, the corners of his mouth twitching in an attempt to grin at the man's reaction.

"You-" Kwan's eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets in his surprise. The expression was rather comical, and Dan had to hold back a laugh to keep from angering the man. "You cut your hair!"

Dan raked a hand through the shortened raven locks, one corner of his mouth pulling into a crooked grin. "Yeah," he answered with a hint of laughter in his voice. "I thought it was time for a change, and well, the whole mullet look was getting old."

Kwan shrugged as if the way Dan wore his hair didn't matter, but he continued staring at the ghost with his eyes slightly wide. "Not too bad a look." He grinned, tucking a hand under his chin as he leaned on the table.

"You just think I'm sexy no matter what, huh?" Dan closed his laptop since he wouldn't get much more done with Kwan awake now.

Dan was never the type to get upset over people staring at him, he knew he had an amazing body, but it made him happy to see Kwan openly showing interest in him. Kwan had struggled with his attraction toward men, not because he was denying his homosexuality but because a traumatic experience had left him wary of other men and their intentions toward him. It had taken some time before Kwan was finally comfortable in their relationship to even suggest they take the next step and initiate a physical relationship. Kwan had conquered his fear and grown much more comfortable with intimacy. So when Kwan gave him those looks like he had some naughty thoughts about them running through his mind, Dan definitely appreciated them.

"Hurry up and get dressed. We have somewhere to be."

"Huh?" Kwan snapped out of his daydreaming and sat up a bit straighter. "I just woke up! Where could we possibly have to be? It's only," he turned his head to check the time on the microwave, "half past nine."

"You'll see." Dan smirked as he gathered up the newspapers into some semblance of order.

"Am I going to like this surprise?" Kwan gave him a wary look, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"That depends, but I'm hoping you will."

Kwan frowned then sighed. He drank a long gulp from his coffee before he stood from the table and headed for his bedroom to change. Dan watched him go, grinning like a mad man. Who could blame him for appreciating the man's body? Even though he was only a teacher, Kwan clearly made time to exercise and keep in shape. Dan continued smiling over that fact as he drank his coffee leisurely, waiting for the man to return.

When he walked back into the kitchen, Kwan wore tight fitted jeans and a casual navy blue shirt. "Okay," he said, raking his hands through his hair to tame the wild bed head he woke up with. "I'm dressed. Where are we going?"

"Ah, ah, ah." Dan stood up and dropped his hands onto the man's shoulders. "You're not getting an answer out of me that easily." He directed Kwan toward the door of his apartment.

"You'll have to tell me something," Kwan argued as they left and he locked up the apartment. "If I have to drive us, I'll need to know where we're heading."

"Come on. You know me." Dan grinned, and he didn't miss one of Kwan's neighbor's loitering by his doorway and shooting foul looks at them. He rolled his eyes, but he was very tempted to give the middle aged man a scare sometime. With a glance toward Kwan as they walked down the stairs, Dan knew he couldn't act on every thought like that.

Destruction and terror was a path he knew all too well from the life he lived before being beaten by his younger half years ago. He remembered when they reached Dash's house and they found little Lex protecting his father from the man who murdered his mother. Lex was too young to have to fight against the man who left him with so many nightmares. Dan was overwhelmed with the desire to tear the life right out of Freakshow when he came upon that scene. It would be so easy to fall back into his old ways and rip the man to pieces. But he had learned some from Danny, even if he wanted to deny it, and killing someone right in front of the man he was trying to woo didn't seem like it would help their relationship. Even if killing Freakshow would have kept Danny and Lex safe from any future attempts on their lives.

It was a difficult struggle, even now, not to revert to a violent maniac. But family made it easier. Being a big brother, or uncle, to Lex helped immensely. And, of course, Kwan kept him stable, kept him centered, kept him from wanting to fly into a rage over nothing. Dan had time to grow and move on from the grief of witnessing his family and friends die in the Nasty Burger explosion, from having Danny's grief merged with Vlad's grief when their ghost halves became one, but the rage and destruction was also engrained into his being, like it was encoded into his ectoplasmsic DNA. It was something he doubted would ever go away, much like Danny and Lex's sorrow over Sam's death.

"I do know you," Kwan agreed as they reached the parking garage attached to the apartment building. "And that's why I'm worried about any surprises you have."

"But you also know that I wouldn't surprise you with something I think you'd hate," Dan reminded as they approached Kwan's car. He might do a lot of crazy and impulsive things, but he tried his best never to do anything Kwan might hate again.

Kwan frowned over the top of the car. Then he sighed as he climbed into the driver's seat. "I suppose you have a point there." He smiled somewhat with a fond look in his eyes. "After all, you did wait for me to be ready, and I know that couldn't have been easy on you."

Dan laughed. "Yeah, I won't lie. I did get pretty frustrated." His gaze flicked toward the man, catching a light flush of color upon his cheeks. "It's hard not to have those kinds of thoughts when you look so cute and adorable."

Kwan rolled his eyes. "You're probably the only one that thinks cute and adorable are adjectives that describe me." The engine of the car roared to life, and Kwan pulled out of the parking space. "Now where exactly am I driving?"

"Head toward Dash's house," Dan answered, settling back into his seat. "I'll give you the directions when we get closer. And those are definitely the best adjectives to use. Though sexy and hot come to mind too. Along with intelligent and witty and-"

"Okay! I get it." Kwan shook his head. "You don't have to run through a list."

Dan chuckled as Kwan's cheeks darkened a few shades. They fell into comfortable silence as Kwan drove toward Dash's house. When they were close enough, he gave directions, telling Kwan where to turn. Within a few minutes, they were parked outside a nice two story house with a "For Sale" sign out front. The lawn was freshly mowed, and flowers grew in a row to either side of the front steps. It had the look of a house he might expect to see in a movie about some perfect little family.

"Let's go in," Dan said, unbuckling his seatbelt. He climbed out of the car then headed straight for the front door while Kwan sputtered. The driver's door slammed shut a moment later, and Kwan caught up in a few long strides.

"What do you mean go in?" Kwan demanded, frowning with concern flickering in his eyes.

"Calm down a moment. Just relax. We're going to take a look around inside." Dan rang the doorbell, ignoring the confusion from the man.

"Ah, I didn't expect you so early!" said the woman who answered the door. She wore a neat black pants suit with a white collared shirt with the top two buttons left undone. Her face was quite pretty, having those high cheek bones and full lips. She was careful with her makeup, only adding enough to enhance her natural beauty. Her ebony hair was twisted back and held in place with a clip. She turned a smile onto Kwan and held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Liz Bishop, the realtor. You must be Kwan. You're," she smirked at Dan, "boyfriend couldn't stop talking about you when he stopped by the other day."

Kwan didn't react at first, merely staring at the woman with a stunned expression upon his face. Then he kicked into action and shook her hand. "Uh, yeah, that's me." He turned a puzzled look onto Dan. "You spoke to a realtor."

Dan shrugged, glancing away. "Well, if we're going to have a child - Adoption is still being finalized," he told Liz, "then we should have a bigger place than that cramped apartment. I checked into some places, and I thought this one looked good. It's in the same neighborhood as Danny and Dash, so they'll only be a few minutes away."

Kwan continued to stare stunned. Then he grabbed Dan around the neck, surprising the ghost, and drew him in for a rushed kiss on the lips. When he pulled away, his cheeks were rosy with embarrassment. "Sorry," he murmured to the realtor. "Sometimes he's just too thoughtful."

Liz's cheeks were a bit red too, but she shook her head. "Oh, no need to apologize. It's so nice to see a young couple adopting and building a family." She stepped aside, opening the door wider. "Shall I give you the tour?"

Kwan nodded and followed her into the house. Dan grinned to himself, closing the door after them. He didn't pay much attention to what the realtor said, having heard it all before on his walk through the house the other day. Liz rambled on about the features of the house and all the inspections done to ensure everything about the house was up to date and safe. Kwan fell back when they were walking upstairs to look at the bedrooms.

"I don't know that we can afford this place though," Kwan whispered quietly. "My teacher's salary probably isn't going to be enough. Even with the savings I have." He frowned, worry and disappointment warring in his eyes. So far, it seemed like the house was everything he was looking for when he brought up the idea of moving to a bigger place, which was exactly why Dan wanted to show the house to him.

"Don't worry about it." Dan dropped a hand on Kwan's head and couldn't resist ruffling his hair. "You're not in this alone, you know. I'll put in my share too."

Kwan stopped at the top of the stair, his expression turning hard and severe. "I hope you aren't suggesting stealing the money because I'm not going to be a part of that."

Dan blinked then laughed. "No, no." He shook his head, his mouth stretching into a wide grin. "I got a job. It's nothing fancy. Just working with Vlad. I've got some ideas about what stocks we can invest money into, too."

Kwan continued staring with the same look, like he didn't believe anything Dan said. "So," he stepped closer, and a smile sneaked onto his face, "you're really serious about all of this." He stood a hair's breath away and lifted his bowed head a touch, staring into the ghost's eyes.

"Never been more serious in my afterlife." Dan snaked a hand around Kwan's neck then pressed a kiss to his forehead. This was the sort of life both sides of him always longed for: someone he loved, a warm place to call home, and a family. He planned to do everything he could to keep what he had with Kwan and make it the best he could for both of them, and their future child. "Hm, we should probably catch up before Liz thinks we sneaked off to do something inappropriate."

Kwan released a light laugh. "Yeah, we wouldn't want that." He laced their hands together and pulled Dan along behind him as they went to find their realtor.


	20. Bed Time Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dash finds Danny working late in his writing room.

"The boys are in bed," Dash said, leaning against the doorframe as he folded his arms.

The room used to be mostly for storage when only he and Xander lived in the house. He would shove whatever they weren't using into the room, not wanting the stuff cluttering up the other rooms where people might see the mess. His blue eyes swept around the room, and he was amazed by the transformation. Shelves lined two of the walls with books and various random items set neatly upon them. Other items Dash had stored in there haphazardly now had specific spots. A football signed by all his high school teammates after their final game of his senior year sat on a little stand on one shelf, and Dash smiled when he spotted it. A desk stood against the back wall between two windows, and his gaze was drawn to the man sitting there typing away at his laptop.

"You've been busy in here." Dash pushed away from the doorframe and walked over to join the man at the desk. Placing a hand on the back of the chair, he leaned over, taking a quick glance at the screen showing an open document with a few broken paragraphs of writing. Around the desk were various pictures in frames. Dash recognized many of them from when he explored Danny's bedroom when they lived in separate houses. They were pictures from when Sam was alive and sharing a life with Danny.

"Ah, yeah." Danny tilted his head up with a hint of embarrassment coloring his cheeks. "I couldn't work with such clutter around. I hope you don't mind."

Dash shook his head as a grin tugged at his mouth. "Probably about time someone cleaned this place out."

Danny nodded, turning his gaze away, and his hands fidgeted in a way Dash recognized as nervous energy. "I feel kind of bad though." He reached up and scratched at the side of his head as he frowned. "I took up a lot of the basement for my lab, and now I've taken this room for a sort of writing slash study area."

Dash ruffled the man's raven hair. "You act like this isn't your home too. You left plenty of room in the basement for the laundry area. And you made this place actually look like a room rather than a complete mess, so I really can't complain." The pictures drew his gaze again. A few more recent pictures were thrown into the mix, though many of them were from the past. "I'm not going to be a jerk if you want to put out some pictures of Sam around the house. She's important to you and Lex."

Danny was silent for a while, his sad eyes turning to the pictures surrounding his laptop. Dash bit his lower lip, thinking perhaps he shouldn't have said anything about it. But he didn't want Danny feeling like his past wasn't allowed to be displayed in the house. In _their_ house. It was as much Danny's now as it was Dash's, so the writer should feel free to put out anything he wanted around the house. Most of the pictures scattered around the house where people frequented most, like the front room, were of Dash and Xander, and some with Paulina and Kwan. But slowly pictures of Danny and Lex were making their way into the collection, along with group pictures of both fathers and sons. They even had a few pictures from Jazz and Tucker's wedding and some with Danny's parents playing with Lex and Xander.

"That means a lot," Danny said at last, turning a soft smile onto him. "But for now, I just don't really feel like putting that part of my life on display for visitors. It still hurts to remember some of those memories, but it makes me feel better having the pictures around when I work. Lex has a couple pictures that he likes having by his bed when he goes to sleep."

Dash nodded, recalling those pictures when he put the boys to bed. For now, the boys were sharing a single room since they complained at the idea of having separate rooms. Eventually, though, they would want their own rooms, and Lex would move into the guest room.

"I just wanted to let you know that it's no problem if you feel ready to put some out," Dash said with a small shrug.

Danny saved his work and closed down his laptop. Standing up, he wrapped his arms around Dash's neck and drew their bodies closer. "Maybe one day," he murmured, bumping their foreheads together. "And it really does mean a lot to me that you said something like that." He shifted his head a little, tentatively brushing their lips together. Despite their attraction toward each other, they still took things slowly. They both had a hesitancy toward crawling into bed and having wild sex like they were still young and horny teenagers. The unconscious thought of "what if my son came into the room?" flitted through their minds frequently, which kept them from going too far beyond kissing and some groping. Dash didn't think either of them were really ready to give their sons the sex talk when they were both still so young.

"So," Dash mumbled, his hands drifting down Danny's sides to rest upon the man's hips, "the boys have a sleepover this weekend at Billy's house." He moved his kisses down Danny's throat, leaving little nips here and there and receiving pleasing little sounds from the other man.

"Mm," Danny hummed as he wedged a leg between Dash's legs, "so we'll have the house all to ourselves?" He grinned with a light of desire in his blue eyes as his hips rolled subtly, rubbing the lower halves of their bodies together.

Dash moaned, thoughts of what they could do alone in the house without worrying about the boys walking in on them. They didn't often get to be home alone, so he definitely wanted to put the rare opportunity to good use. He found Danny's mouth again, kissing the half ghost hungrily, like he couldn't get enough of tasting the man, of running his tongue over every crevice, and having Danny return it with similar enthusiasm. Sometimes, he could almost forget that their relationship hadn't always been like this, with them being romantically involved with each other and raising two sons.

"Dad!"

The shout from another room broke them apart, and Danny shook his head, laughing because it always seemed like this type of moment was interrupted by one of their sons. It was like they had some sort of sixth sense telling them their fathers were doing something and they needed to stop it.

Dash sighed, running a hand through his blond locks. "I guess we better go see what he needs."

"Lex probably just wants me to tell him goodnight," Danny said as he led the way out the door to his writing room. "Since I got all caught up in my work that I didn't even join you all for the usual bedtime story."

Dash laughed. "Yeah, Xander pouted because he likes when you read your books. Says he likes how you do different voices and read it so dramatically."

Danny flushed lightly, and Dash couldn't think of any other way to describe it but as cute. "I'll have to be sure to read tomorrow's story then." They walked down the hall to the boys' room, and Danny flipped on the light as they entered. "You should be asleep." He waved a finger at his son, but his voice didn't hold any sternness to it to suggest he was angry. Walking over to his son's bed, Danny proceeded to give his son a fierce hug and kiss him a few times on his cheeks and forehead. Lex squirmed under his blankets but hugged his father back before Danny stood up straight again.

"Me too! Me too!" Xander said, holding out his arms.

Danny chuckled lightly. "Yes, yes. You too." He crossed over to Xander's bed, hugging the boy and giving him goodnight kisses.

"Now both of you go to sleep," Dash ordered, but he couldn't keep the smile from his face at the sight of Danny with their sons. "You have school in the morning, and we don't want to have to drag you out of bed because you didn't get enough sleep." The boys groaned, but they curled up under their blankets, closing their eyes as Dash flipped off the lights.

Danny pulled the door almost all the way closed as they left the boys' room. "See? Told you that was all it was."

"Yeah, yeah." Dash rolled his eyes as he ruffled Danny's hair. "I guess we should call it a night too." He gave the man a quick kiss on the cheek before pulling him along to their bedroom.


	21. Picture Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan takes Kwan to visit Vlad's laboratory where a special surprise awaits them.

Kwan stumbled a step after Dan released him. Traveling through the Ghost Zone was still a strange thing for him, and he was glad to pass through the Portal and set his feet on solid ground again. He turned his attention to glancing around his surroundings, which didn't feel all that different from Danny's laboratory. Perhaps a bit nicer, definitely cleaner, and he could tell the builder had plenty of money. One major difference, however, was the strange machine set up across the laboratory from the Portal entrance.

"I brought him," Dan announced the obvious, even though the owner of the laboratory was already facing them.

Vlad scowled at the ridiculous grin upon Dan's face. He dressed as sharply as ever in a dark suit and his silver hair pulled back in a low ponytail. "I see that, yes," he said, his mouth pressing into a disapproving frown. Dan had a habit of being able to get on people's nerves, though it seemed annoying Vlad and Danny, the two responsible for his creation, was Dan's one of his favorite things to do. "But I would advise you to keep your voices down."

Nervousness crept along his spine as Kwan followed Dan over to where Vlad waited. He knew what he would find once he reached the half ghost, but he couldn't shake off the feeling of disbelief, like he was in a dream. As they neared Vlad, Kwan slipped his hand into Dan's, lacing their fingers together and squeezing the hand he held tightly. Part of him needed to prove to himself this wasn't all in his head. Dan glanced his way, though he held his forked tongue. Kwan still remembered his surprise of finding Dan had decided to change his appearance. The shorter hair looked good on him, and he kept it styled differently from Danny's hair. And when he was in ghost form, as he was now, Dan's hair still flickered like flames.

"If she's anything like Lex, you'll have a few years before her powers start showing," Vlad explained, stepping aside to show the cradle behind him.

Kwan was almost too scared to look inside it. He had to take a moment with his eyes closed as he held onto Dan's hand. After this, their lives would be forever changed. They would be responsible for watching over and caring for another life. Kwan wanted this, wanted his own child to raise, but he couldn't deny the worry and fear of being a bad father, even if Dan kept telling him otherwise. What if he screwed things up and messed up their child from the start? When he felt a gentle squeeze of his hand and a slight nudge forward, Kwan finally snapped open his aqua green eyes.

Nestled in the white blankets of the cradle was their child, who looked so small and fragile. She had pudgy cheeks and bronze skin just like Kwan and wisps of ebony hair swirled atop her head. She slept so peacefully in the cradle that he didn't want to disturb her. Kwan covered his mouth with his free hand, overwhelmed by the dozens of emotions flooding through him in that moment as he looked upon his child for the first time. Joy, happiness, love, though the worry still lurked in the shadows of his mind, it couldn't dampen all the positive emotions inside him.

"Oh," Kwan gasped when he could finally find his voice again. "She's perfect."

"Have you decided on a name for her?" Vlad asked, and Kwan had almost forgotten the man was still there.

"What do you think?" Dan asked, freeing his hand then wrapping his arm around Kwan's waist.

"I swear if you suggest something like Crog the Destroyer, I will punch you," Kwan said flatly as he glared at the ghost.

"No, that's way too over the top." Dan shook his head. "Besides I don't think a name like that really fits her."

Kwan tilted his head in thought as he stared at the sleeping baby in the cradle. "Riley," he said at last with a firm nod. "I like Riley." He wasn't sure why that name stuck out to him, but when he look at the baby, Riley was the only name to pop into his head.

"Hm," Dan hummed thoughtfully, and Kwan had a gut wrenching moment of fear, thinking the ghost wouldn't approve the name. "Yeah, Riley is good." Dan grinned widely at the relief spreading onto Kwan's face.

"Excellent." Vlad held a phone in his hands, typing something on the touch screen. "Technus owes me a favor, so he'll have all the documentation made up for her soon. Since it would be odd for you to just randomly have a child and especially with her having two fathers, we thought it best to create a false woman to be the mother. All her records will look official enough, so long as no one goes looking too hard, but I don't we'll have to worry. Oh, but sadly, due to complications during labor, she passed away after giving birth." He frowned as if to say "I'm sorry for you loss."

It was odd, hearing about a fake woman who he was supposed to have a child with, but Kwan understood the reason for it. Outside their small circle, they couldn't go around talking about how Riley was his and Dan's daughter. It was too complicated, and they couldn't explain that one of her fathers was a full blown ghost. He would at least need to remember the woman's name if anyone asked. Then he could tell them losing her made his memories too painful to avoid having to discuss anything about this false relationship.

"Is there anything else?" Kwan questioned, turning to Vlad. He was eager to get home and start raising his child with Dan.

Vlad shook his head. "You're free to take her home." His gaze dropped to the sleeping baby, and a fond smile slipped onto his face. "I may stop by every once and a while to check in. Make sure there are no unforeseen complications. Things weren't entirely smooth with Danielle. But I believe we managed to perfect the errors of the past. But just as a precaution-"

"Vlad," Kwan cut him off with a laugh, "you're free to visit any time you like. In fact, I was thinking you could be her godfather."

Vlad stared in surprise, like he couldn't believe they were offering him such a role in their child's life. "If you're certain."

Dan punched him lightly on the arm. "Of course we are!"

"Are you sure you wanted this maniac to be the other father?" Vlad asked with a slight pursing of his mouth.

"Between you and Danny," Kwan said, carefully scooping up the sleeping baby, "I think Dan should have inherited some sort of fatherly instinct." Riley squirmed slightly in his arms as he carefully cradled her to his chest. She yawned widely, aqua green eyes opening for a brief moment before she slipped back into a peaceful sleep. "And he hasn't killed anyone lately. That's a good sign."

"I'm just bursting with fatherly instinct," Dan said, dropping an elbow onto Vlad's shoulder and using him like a wall to lean against, much to Vlad's annoyance. "And that is just picture perfect. Oh!" He poked Vlad in the ribs. "Get a camera! Baby's first picture with her papa." He grinned madly.

"If it's going to be her first picture, it should have both her parents," Kwan corrected, reaching over to tug Dan toward him.

Vlad fiddled with his phone then held it up, adjusting to get the three of them in the picture together. Dan moved to stand behind Kwan, wrapping his arms around the man's waist as he rested his chin on Kwan's shoulder. He grinned fondly, looking down at their daughter in Kwan's arm. Even without the picture Vlad took with his phone, Kwan knew he was going to remember this moment perfectly for the rest of his life.


	22. Like a Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With all that has changed in the past few years, sometimes Danny feels like it has all been a dream.

"If this had been a few years ago, I would have thought this was some strange dream," Danny mumbled, leaning against the doorframe to the bedroom as he folded his arms.

Even after seeing how Dan had changed over the years, Danny's brain still had trouble digesting the scene before him. Dan lay on his back on the floor of the bedroom. The small baby girl snoozed on his chest, drooling on the ghost's shirt, though Dan didn't seem to mind since he was sleeping too. She was probably the most unbelievable part of the scene, simply because Danny was surprised something so cute could come from his evil future. Maybe Kwan's genes were to thank for that. Their daughter resembled Kwan with her bronze skin and bright aqua green eyes.

"It's good for Hunter though," Skulker said, having joined Danny at the door to Riley's bedroom moments ago. "Ever since Riley was born, Hunter likes coming here to visit."

"Hunter's tutu is cute, by the way." Danny tore his gaze away from the bedroom as he frowned at Skulker. "The other ghost children still tease Hunter?"

Skulker scratched at the back of his head. "It's not the easiest thing in the world to raise a child in a gender neutral environment. I guess I can't expect other children to really understand it, but there's a problem when the parents bad mouth the way Ember and I have chosen to raise our child in front of their own." A murderous gleam glowed in his green eyes. "That's only introducing narrow minded view points to their children."

Danny patted the hunter on his shoulder. "At least Hunter has some safe places."

"Sometimes I find your optimism and acceptance infuriating." Skulker scowled at him. "But I do appreciate it at times like this." He huffed out a sigh and ran a hand through his flaming hair, not needing to keep up the human disguise while in Dan and Kwan's house. "And the tutu, well, Hunter seems to be developing a bigger interest in learning music. I think the tutu is part of Hunter trying to develop a rocker look like Ember."

"If it makes the kid happy." Danny shrugged, but there was something cute about the pale skinned ghost child wearing the neon blue tutu with the black top and pants. If the tutu had streaks of bright green in it, it would have matched Hunter's hair. "How are you taking the whole Hunter preferring music thing?" He eyed the ghost cautiously, like he expected an explosion of anger.

"I wanted to be mad about it." Skulker shifted, turning so his back was pressed against the doorframe. "But Hunter gets that same kind of look Ember does when she's concentrating on playing. It's pretty cute, though Hunter still has a lot to learn with playing the guitar."

"Well, even if Hunter takes after Ember, you can still pass on some of your skills." Danny knew some of those hunting skills could come in handy because he sometimes employed skills he picked up from Skulker when he was tracking down ghosts on occasion.

"And how goes teaching your kid? Lex picked up on the Ghostly Wail already, huh?"

"Still having some trouble with that one." Danny sighed. "But I guess that's to be expected. It's not like I could use it perfectly after I learned it. Before I could only use it as a super powerful last resort move that wiped out all my energy. I've refined it over the years. Yeah, some of that training made it take a hit in terms of power, but if I really wanted to, I could use it full power." He reached up and rubbed at his throat. "Hurts the vocals a bit though."

The thunder of a small feet came down the hall, and both fathers turned to see the two boys racing toward them. Danny quickly held up a finger to his lips before either boy could shout anything. He crouched down as Lex and Xander came to a stop before him.

"Riley and Hunter are sleeping right now," Danny told the boys.

"Aw!" Xander frowned in disappointment.

"I wanted to help teach Riley about her powers!" Lex shoved his hands into the pockets of his hooded sweatshirt as he frowned at the floor.

"Maybe you can do that when she's a little older." Danny ruffled Lex's blond locks, much to his annoyance. The young boy swatted at his father's hand.

"So how does this family tree thing work?" Skulker questioned curiously. "Because Dan is technically you." He pointed at Danny. "So in a way, that would make Lex and Riley half siblings. But Dan sometimes calls Lex his little bro, so that would sort of make Lex Riley's uncle. But then you always refer to Dan as your cousin, so that would make your children - What is it? First cousins once removed? Or something."

"Uh, I think we're just go with calling them cousins and leave the headache out of the equation." Danny grimaced just thinking about how _that_ family tree would look.

"Oh, this is where everyone is hiding," Kwan said, standing at the top of the stairs. "I just finished making some lunch, and everyone had disappeared."

"Well, we've got a few passed out members." Skulker jerked his thumb toward the bedroom.

"Ah, well, if Riley's napping, we shouldn't wake her. She certainly has a set of lungs on her."

Even with the distance between them, Danny could spot the dark circles on Kwan's eyes. He remembered those first months after Lex was born and being woken up in the middle of the night by a crying baby. It was exhausting, but in the end, those sleepless nights was all worth it once Lex had grown up and could sleep through the night.

"I guess we should go ahead and eat." Danny stood and nudged the boys toward the stairs. "We can warm up any food that needs it later when the others wake up." The group headed back downstairs and to the dining room, where Dash was already serving plates on the table, to eat lunch.

As he sat down at the table, Danny thought again about how much everything seemed like a dream. Sometimes, it felt like it was only yesterday that he was still grieving over Sam's death and struggling with depression. Now he had a new family with Dash, who he loved, and Xander, who was like a second son to him before Danny even got into a romantic relationship with Dash. But it wasn't only his life that had improved since he moved away from Amity Park. He could see Kwan was much happier, being in a relationship with Dan and now having a child of his own. Danny smiled as he picked up the sandwich from his plate. Life was great right now.


	23. Bats, Ghosts, and Spooky Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another Halloween night rolls around, but thankfully, Danny's decorating abilities have greatly improved since his freshmen year of high school.

"Dad, we need more - Please don't wear that." Lex groaned when he saw what his father was wearing.

Danny stopped fixing some more treats for the party to lower his gaze to the shirt he wore. It was a mostly white shirt with two black eyes and a curved line for a smiling mouth with the words "BOO!" written on the top and "I AM A GHOST!" at the bottom. "What's wrong with it?" He cracked a grin at his son. "This is the only time I can wear this shirt. Best of all, no one will think it's true."

Lex hung his head, rubbing at his eyes. "It's so embarrassing!"

"As your father, it's my job to be embarrassing." Danny finished putting on the decorative icing on the ghost, pumpkin, witch, and black cat cookies. "These should be ready to take out in a few minutes. And I have two pizzas baking in the oven."

"You're already embarrassing enough with your lame dad jokes," Lex pointed out dryly. He moved to lean against the counter, not so subtly swiping one of the cookies. "Will any of our _other_ friends be stopping by the party?"

"Well, Vlad had some business stuff he couldn't ignore, so he and Desiree won't be able to stop by." Danny stole a cookie for himself and bit the pumpkin cookie in half.

"Aw! I always like his Dracula bit." Lex frowned in disappointment.

Danny chuckled. During high school, he never would have imagined Vlad was actually pretty good with children. Maybe if Vlad had gotten over his whole obsession with Danny's mom sooner, they could have had a better relationship from the beginning. He shook his head, knowing it was no good to think about things that could have been. The past was done and nothing could change it. Even if Clockwork allowed it, Danny couldn't know how messing with the past could alter the future. He liked his life too much to risk any of it.

"Kitty and Johnny are off in one of their honeymoon phases," Danny continued, "so I doubt we'll be hearing from them for a while." The doorbell rang before he could think about what any of the other ghosts were doing tonight. He knew a lot of them liked to come to the mortal world and blend in with the living, who wouldn't be scared of them just for that night. Some of them would stop by later in the evening, but it was usually a hit or miss thing. "I'll get that. You can take that plate of cookies in."

Danny wiped his hands clean then walked out of the kitchen. He glanced briefly into the front room where the party was to check on things as he headed to the front door. When he opened the door, he grinned, almost laughed. Kwan greeted him with a big smile as he wore a pair of fuzzy black cat ears on his head. But what struck Danny as funny was the furry white bunny ears Dan wore. Big bad, nearly destroyed everything in timeline Dan wore bunny ears! The only thing that could possibly make the image better is if the ears were pink.

"Not one word." Dan glared darkly at Danny, who bit his tongue to keep from laughing. "Riley picked it out."

Riley, who was their now three year old daughter, slept in Dan's arms as she used his shoulder as a pillow. She wore a cute powder blue dress that made her look like a little princess with a black cape draped around her shoulders. Her ebony hair was done up in a braid that was tied off in a black ribbon. Upon her head, she wore a small conical black hat, which was kept in place by a ribbon tied under her chin. Around the base of the hat was an orange ribbon decorated with little spiders.

"All the trick-or-treating tired her out," Kwan confessed, rubbing his daughter's back in soothing circles.

"She can rest up in our bedroom," Danny offered. "It should muffle the noise from the party and not to wake her."

Dan nodded then passed Danny as he headed for the stairs.

"So how are her powers?" Danny asked, closing the door after Kwan stepped into the house. Everyone else was too busy enjoying the party to pay attention to their conversation, but they still walked toward the kitchen where they would have some relative privacy.

"Oh," Kwan laughed and rubbed at the back of his neck. "That can be a bit of a challenge sometimes. She doesn't have a good handle on things, but at least she's not accidentally freezing stuff whenever she sneezes."

Danny flushed darkly in embarrassment, remembering the time when he and Lex got bit by a ghost bug. It was a pretty awful experience, made worse when he transformed into Phantom. Thankfully, Dash didn't get all freaked out or anything when he discovered the truth about Danny and Lex. He wasn't sure what he would have done then, and Danny was glad he never had to find out.

"So just the common abilities so far then?" Danny asked, trying to force back the blush. "Intangibility, invisibility, and flight?"

Kwan nodded. "Pretty much. I leave most of the training to Dan. Because, well, what exactly can I do?" He shrugged with an almost helpless expression.

"Hey, that's not true! You were able to help Lex when he accidentally phased through the couch while he was sick," Danny reminded. He patted Kwan on the shoulder. "Don't stress out about it, okay? The most important thing you can do is just be there and be supportive. Just like you would do for any of your students at school."

"Thanks." Kwan cracked a grin. "Is there anything I can help with here?" He glanced over the mess in the kitchen from all the cooking Danny and Dash did for party treats.

"I think we have everything covered in the food department." Danny walked over to the oven as the timer beeped to tell him the pizzas were done. "This should probably be the last batch of food we need before the end of the party. Oh, but you can check to make sure there are still drinks out for everyone if you want."

"I hope you don't mind if we head off," Ember said as she entered the kitchen with Skulker following behind her. "Oh, hey, you came!" She smiled at Kwan.

Danny crouched down to be at eye level with Hunter, who dressed in leather pants, a black shirt with a tattered hem, and a leather jacket with the sleeves rolled up and neon blue fur around the collar. Hunter's face was painted up to look like a skull. Danny smiled at the six year old ghost child.

"Do you want a cookie before you go?" he asked, and Hunter's head bobbed eagerly. Danny stood up and grabbed one of the special ectoplasm cookies he made for any ghost guests who came to the party. Then he handed the cookie to Hunter, who nibbled on it.

"Sorry we can't stay longer," Skulker said. "Hunter's too tired to stick around any longer."

Kwan shook his head. "We lost track of the time when we took Riley trick-or-treating. Dan just went to put her down upstairs because she fell asleep on the way here."

"No Riri?" Hunter frowned, looking up at the adults.

"Not tonight," Ember said with an apologetic look.

"But maybe, if your parents allow it, you can stop by for a visit tomorrow," Kwan suggested. "It'll be a Sunday, so both Dan and I will be home."

Skulker nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me."

"Yay!" Hunter bounced up and down in excitement.

"But for now, we're going home." Ember lifted Hunter into her arms. "What do you say to Danny?"

"Thanks for the party," Hunter said, head bowing in shyness.

"You are very welcome." Danny smiled at the ghost child and ruffled the dual colored hair.

"We'll catch you later, dipstick." The ghost family said their goodbyes then walked down the basement stairs to where the Portal was kept.

"Is that pizza ready?" Xander asked, sticking his head into the kitchen.

"Bringing it out in a minute," Danny told him. He chuckled when Xander released a whoop and disappeared again. He and Kwan cut the pizzas into slices then carried them out to the partygoers. All the slices of pizza were gone seconds after they entered the room. Danny smiled as he watched everyone enjoying themselves and having a good time. The house was decked out in Halloween decorations. Cobwebs streamed across the room. Bats hung from the ceiling. Jack-o-lanterns that he, Dash, Lex, and Xander carved as a family were placed around the room. He really liked how it all turned out.

"And is my favorite ghost having a good time?" Dash asked, sneaking up on Danny as he wrapped his arms around the half ghost's waist.

"Hm, better now that I don't have to be stuck in the kitchen cooking up more snacks." Danny turned his head and kissed Dash on the cheek. "Even better with you here." Dash rolled his eyes, but he had a smile on his face, which only made Danny smile wider.


End file.
